Problem
Military success has little value when it does not serve the political goal.
Action
Define how military action will create the conditions required by policy.
Outcome
Every major effort supports the desired political result.
Chapter: The Campaign - Strategy
Problem
A sound campaign can fail when forces cannot defeat the enemy in direct contact.
Action
Use fire, movement, and local advantage to win each necessary engagement.
Outcome
Tactical success creates opportunities for wider campaign progress.
Chapter: The Campaign - Tactics
Problem
Separate battles may consume resources without changing the strategic situation.
Action
Sequence military actions so each one prepares or strengthens the next.
Outcome
Individual actions combine into meaningful strategic progress.
Chapter: The Campaign - Operations
Problem
Broad strategic goals do not directly tell forces what conditions to create.
Action
Convert the strategic goal into clear operational aims for the campaign.
Outcome
Operational efforts remain connected to the strategic purpose.
Chapter: The Campaign - Strategic-Operational Connection
Problem
Tactical victories can divert the force from the campaign aim.
Action
Choose engagements according to the operational conditions they can create.
Outcome
Combat results contribute directly to campaign success.
Chapter: The Campaign - Tactical-Operational Connection
Problem
Decisions at one level can weaken efforts at another level.
Action
Assess how each strategic, operational, and tactical decision affects the other levels.
Outcome
The whole force works toward a common result.
Chapter: The Campaign - Interdependence of the Levels of War
Problem
Unconnected operations cannot reliably produce a strategic result.
Action
Group related operations by purpose, time, and desired conditions.
Outcome
Sustained military effort advances one strategic aim.
Chapter: The Campaign - Campaigns
Problem
Battles and engagements can cause heavy losses without advancing the campaign.
Action
Enter combat only when the expected result supports the operational aim.
Outcome
Combat power is spent on actions that matter.
Chapter: The Campaign - Battles and Engagements
Problem
Tactical success can mask strategic failure when it does not alter the broader situation.
Action
Judge each operation by its effect on the enemy's ability to continue the campaign.
Outcome
Persistent operational pressure produces strategic advantage.
Chapter: The Campaign - A Comparative Case Study: Grant Versus Lee
Problem
Military action becomes directionless when leaders do not understand the policy goal.
Action
Clarify the political result that military force must support.
Outcome
The campaign remains focused on the reason for fighting.
Chapter: The Campaign - Policy
Problem
A strategy fails when its demands exceed the available military power.
Action
Select military objectives that available forces can achieve and sustain.
Outcome
The chosen strategy remains practical and credible.
Chapter: The Campaign - Military Strategy
Problem
Separate enemy forces can recover when pressure is limited to one area.
Action
Coordinate simultaneous operations that prevent the enemy from shifting forces or rebuilding strength.
Outcome
Continuous pressure reduces the enemy's freedom of action.
Chapter: The Campaign - Operations in 1864
Problem
Repeated battlefield victories cannot save a campaign built on a failing strategy.
Action
Adapt tactical methods when their costs no longer support the strategic aim.
Outcome
Battlefield performance serves long-term campaign success.
Chapter: The Campaign - Tactics
Problem
Marine forces may enter a campaign at different stages and under changing conditions.
Action
Build forces that can respond quickly and support joint operations across the campaign.
Outcome
Marine forces provide useful options throughout the conflict.
Chapter: The Campaign - The Marine Corps and Campaigning
Problem
Operational activity can drift toward goals that do not support military strategy.
Action
Test every proposed operation against the military strategic aim.
Outcome
Campaign resources remain focused on the required strategic result.
Chapter: Designing the Campaign - Supporting the Military Strategic Aim
Problem
An annihilation strategy fails if the enemy retains enough organized power to continue fighting.
Action
Concentrate decisive force against the enemy's main sources of military resistance.
Outcome
The enemy loses the ability to continue effective opposition.
Chapter: Designing the Campaign - Campaigning Under an Annihilation Strategy
Problem
Direct destruction may be too costly or impossible against a resilient enemy.
Action
Apply sustained pressure that steadily raises the enemy's costs and weakens its will.
Outcome
The enemy becomes more willing to accept the desired terms.
Chapter: Designing the Campaign - Campaigning Under an Erosion Strategy
Problem
Attacking every enemy weakness wastes effort on conditions that may not matter.
Action
Identify the weaknesses that, if exploited, can undermine a critical enemy strength.
Outcome
Limited actions create effects that threaten the enemy system.
Chapter: Designing the Campaign - Identifying the Enemy's Critical Vulnerabilities
Problem
Forces cannot coordinate effectively without a shared idea of how the campaign will succeed.
Action
State how major actions will create the conditions needed for the strategic aim.
Outcome
Subordinate forces can act coherently under changing conditions.
Chapter: Designing the Campaign - The Campaign Concept
Problem
One fixed approach cannot address every stage of a changing campaign.
Action
Create phases based on distinct conditions and clear transition points.
Outcome
The force can shift its focus as the campaign develops.
Chapter: Designing the Campaign - Phasing the Campaign
Problem
Detailed planning becomes wasteful when the central campaign idea is unclear.
Action
Develop the concept first, organize required functions next, and add details last.
Outcome
Detailed plans remain consistent with the campaign purpose.
Chapter: Designing the Campaign - Conceptual, Functional, and Detailed Planning
Problem
Military victory can create instability when leaders have not defined how conflict should end.
Action
Identify acceptable termination conditions and the actions needed to reach them.
Outcome
Military success leads toward a sustainable political settlement.
Chapter: Designing the Campaign - Conflict Termination
Problem
A design that works in one conflict may fail under different aims and conditions.
Action
Choose the campaign structure that fits the strategic aim, enemy, and environment.
Outcome
The campaign uses an approach suited to the actual problem.
Chapter: Designing the Campaign - Campaign Design: Two Examples
Problem
A major offensive can fail without prior control of access, resources, and supporting operations.
Action
Create the conditions for decisive action through coordinated buildup, deception, and supporting attacks.
Outcome
The main operation begins with greater strength and freedom of action.
Chapter: Designing the Campaign - Case Study: The Recapture of Europe, 1944-45
Problem
An insurgency survives when it can draw protection, supplies, and recruits from the population.
Action
Protect the population while isolating insurgents from their sources of support.
Outcome
The insurgency loses the freedom and resources needed to continue.
Chapter: Designing the Campaign - Case Study: Malaysia, 1948-60
Problem
A strong concept cannot guide action unless forces receive usable direction.
Action
Define objectives, phases, resources, responsibilities, and measures in the campaign plan.
Outcome
Subordinate commands can prepare and act toward the same result.
Chapter: Designing the Campaign - The Campaign Plan
Problem
Immediate battlefield demands can distract commanders from the campaign purpose.
Action
Review operations by their effect on the strategic conditions the campaign must create.
Outcome
Short-term decisions continue to support long-term success.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - Strategic Orientation
Problem
Combat consumes lives and resources without value when it serves no operational purpose.
Action
Use combat only to create conditions that advance the campaign.
Outcome
Fighting produces results beyond the immediate battlefield.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - The Use of Combat
Problem
A narrow focus on current action can hide important changes across the campaign.
Action
Assess each situation across time, space, purpose, and the enemy's response.
Outcome
Commanders make decisions based on the whole campaign.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - Perspective
Problem
A prepared enemy can block an action that follows an obvious pattern.
Action
Conceal intentions and act at an unexpected time, place, or manner.
Outcome
The enemy has less time to respond effectively.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - Surprise
Problem
Slow action gives the enemy time to recover and regain the initiative.
Action
Maintain a pace that repeatedly presents the enemy with new problems.
Outcome
The enemy's responses become late and less effective.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - Tempo
Problem
Separate capabilities produce limited results when they do not support one another.
Action
Coordinate forces and functions so each capability strengthens the others.
Outcome
The combined effect exceeds the value of isolated actions.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - Synergy
Problem
Central control cannot keep pace with every change in a campaign.
Action
Communicate clear intent and let subordinate commanders act within it.
Outcome
The force responds quickly while remaining coordinated.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - Command and Control
Problem
Direct attacks against enemy strength often cause unnecessary losses.
Action
Move forces to position the enemy where resistance becomes ineffective.
Outcome
The force gains advantage without relying only on destruction.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - Maneuver
Problem
Unfocused fires can destroy targets without creating useful operational effects.
Action
Direct fires against targets whose loss will enable maneuver or weaken enemy resistance.
Outcome
Firepower creates opportunities that advance the campaign.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - Fires
Problem
Commanders risk acting against false assumptions when intelligence is incomplete or outdated.
Action
Collect and interpret information that answers the commander's most important questions.
Outcome
Decisions reflect the enemy's capabilities, intentions, and vulnerabilities.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - Intelligence
Problem
Operational success ends when supplies and support cannot keep pace with the force.
Action
Plan logistics around the campaign's expected distance, tempo, and duration.
Outcome
The force can continue effective operations without avoidable pauses.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - Logistics
Problem
Excessive caution can protect forces while preventing them from achieving the mission.
Action
Reduce critical risks while accepting necessary exposure for decisive action.
Outcome
The force remains effective and capable of pursuing the campaign's aim.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - Force Protection
Problem
Complex campaigns cannot succeed through plans and procedures alone.
Action
Communicate purpose, make timely decisions, and accept responsibility under uncertainty.
Outcome
The force acts with confidence and unity during changing conditions.
Chapter: Conducting the Campaign - Leadership