Iraq military doctrine and Saddam's incapacitation

As usual, USS Clueless does a better job getting to the critical issues than 80% of the talking heads on TV. It really is a must read.


I will only add that the problem of centralized decision-making was the single biggest cause of the Fall of France in 1940. All too often, it is portrayed as a failure of material preparedness-- Germany having more and better tanks. But that is not so... the quantitative edge went to the Allies, and the qualitative differences are open to debate given that France and Britain were on the defensive.

But German doctrine placed a premuim on rapid decision making and that allowed them to set a rapid pace once the invasion was launched.

From John A. English and Bruce I. Gudmundsson, On Infanty:

"This behavior, which in other armies might result in a court martial, required leaders with an unusual degree of intelligence and peculiar character trait that the Germans called Verantwortungsfreudgkeit- a certain willingness to accept, or more particularly, enjoy responsibility."

"What was clear was that, to a degree unheard of in othr armies, the German soldier was expected to do whatever the situation required. Failure to act when the situation demanded action was considered worse than a wrong choice of method."

From Cohen and Gooch, Military Misfortunes,

The German pace "disorented French Commanders (at all levels), who had expected to receive-- and to offer-- continual written guidance during the conduct of battle."

From Len Deighton, Blitzkreig,

"The defeat of the Allies on the Continent in 1940 was a failure of communications and command. Time was the most vital factor, but it was squanderd, not by sluggish production of aircraft or by slow tanks, but by slow decisions and a paralysis of command."

From Col. Robert Allan Doughty, The Breaking Point: Sedan and the Fall of France, 1940

"French and German doctrine thus differed sharply on several key points. While one emphasized methodical battles, firepower, centralization, and obedience, the other emphasized continuous battles, mobility, decentralization, and initiative. During the fighting around Sedan, the doctrine of the Germans provided them a distinct advantage over the French".

"Germany won the campaign because her military forces were better led, had a sounder strategy, and had developed more viable tactical and operational doctrines. France lost because her leaders tried to manage rather than lead, her strategy was ill-conceived and based on fallacious assumptions, and her tactical and operational-level doctrines were inadequate for the mobile war German thrust upon her."