Military Review English Edition July-August 2016 | Page 80

The Mud of Verdun

Falkenhayn and the Future of
American Landpower
Maj. Robert Chamberlain, U.S. Army

O

n 21 February 1916 one of the most cataclyslight of this analysis, which argues that the German
mic battles in the history of warfare began
theory of warfare had an enormous impact on the
near the ancient fortress city of Verdun. The
battle’s planning, conduct, and outcome. Finally, our
battle lasted nearly a year and in the one hundred
own theory of warfare is reviewed, as it bears many
square miles of contested terrain, there were approxisimilarities to that employed by the Germans at
mately eight hundred thousand
Verdun, and therefore the battle and its
French and German casualties.
outcome bear important warnings for
For a time it was the focal point
American joint operations in the future.
of the war on the Western
Front, concentrating the enerWhat Is a Theory of
gies of two nations, their miliWarfare?
taries, and their strategic leadA theory of warfare is a description of
ership. As a testing ground of
how a military intends to produce stratethe German High Command’s
gic outcomes. In making a decision to aptheory of warfare, it proved to
ply a military remedy to a strategic probbe the undoing of Germany’s
lem, one employs a theory of warfare
chief of staff, Gen. Erich
to determine how and if the proposed
Georg Anton Sebastian von
solution will work. In the modern world,
Falkenhayn. Understanding
the development of grand strategy often
his theory, how it drove operreceives theories of warfare as a given.
(Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
ations, and how it ultimately
Due to the time and expense required to
Erich von Falkenhayn, German general
determined the outcome of the
develop and train a modern military, the
and minister of war, in 1913.
battle is important for thinking
strategic decision-makers are bound by
about contemporary American military strategy. As in
the military capabilities and doctrine that exist when
1916, the theory of warfare we develop to meet conthey assume power.
temporary challenges determines whether the courage
A theory of warfare provides the ordering princiof our soldiers and the technological achievements of
ples of a military whether made explicit or not. It is
our nation can be effectively transformed into desirable a description of the strategic environment, of what
political outcomes.
the military is, and how it applies itself against an
This article undertakes four tasks. First, a simadversary. Everything else that a military does—how
ple framework is created to describe a theory of
it dresses, organizes itself, procures equipment, imwarfare and its functions. Second, the development
poses discipline, generates force, sees terrain, treats
of German strategic thought from 1914 to 1916 is
captured enemies, deals with civilians, and so forth—
explored using the theoretical framework outlined in
is largely a function of how it defines and achieves
the previous section. Third, Verdun is examined in
success in war.
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July-August 2016  MILITARY REVIEW