Video Presentation By Dr. Andrew R. Wilson, Ph. D.

953 Words4 Pages

As defined in the video presentation by Dr. Andrew R. Wilson, Ph.D., of the US Naval War College, strategy is a process by which political purpose is translated into military action. It is a process as it requires constant management, reassessment and adaptation to make it effective.

In the context of war, success is not just a matter of chance but greatly lies on the skills to analyze situation. As quoted in the video presentation, Prussian military theorist Carl Von Clausewitz said that war is like a game of cards. Though success in war is subject to chance, a great deal of skillful analysis is needed.

Coming up with a good strategy is important because it allows one to look at all angles - political, social, economic and environmental …show more content…

Each level is also concerned with implementing strategy, which must be reevaluated constantly considering the dynamism of warfare. Therefore, success in war and other conflicts is best attained when one is able to adapt to rapidly changing situation and exploit transient opportunities rather than strictly adhering to a predetermined course of action.

Going back to the definition of strategy as quoted by Dr. Wilson, strategy is a process by which political purpose is translated into military action. Political purpose is determined by the political leaders. This becomes the policy which needs to be supported by the other three levels i.e. strategy, operation and tactics. Dr. Wilson presented examples of political purpose e.g. expanding territories and changing or toppling down a …show more content…

To quote, “operational level is the blueprint that helps in building a house from a bunch of bricks. Each brick is a tactical engagement. You put them together to make a wall, and then a house.” Operational level plans which are also referred to as "campaigns," are consisting of a series of battles and engagements designed to win some larger objective. The operational level of warfare is in the level of the generals and deals with the movements of the entire army groups be it aerial, land or at sea. Operational plans present intentions on when to commence and how long the execution plan is and its