On 12 July 1813, representatives from Austria, Prussia, Sweden, and Russia met at Trachenberg Palace in western Poland to plan the upcoming campaign against Napoleon.
A superb display of a broad base of (historical) knowledge, and a mind sharpened for synthesis—I applaud you in possessing this rare combination. Great article.
I suddenly had the image of a campaign prosecuted entirely by sealed envelope, with conditions printed on each one for when and in what order to open, like a pre-programmed decision tree that has to be handed out before the fight even begins.
Simplicity first! A decision tree for the entire campaign (vs. individual components in one phase) is probably possible in some cases, but that makes it vulnerable to the unforeseen.
A favorite conversation with a U.S. Army Major while working as a civilian Subject Matter Expert for an Army exercise was his answer that “we have a plan so that we know what we are deviating from.”
A superb display of a broad base of (historical) knowledge, and a mind sharpened for synthesis—I applaud you in possessing this rare combination. Great article.
Thank you Tyler, very kind.
That's a hugely comprehensive article, thank you.
I suddenly had the image of a campaign prosecuted entirely by sealed envelope, with conditions printed on each one for when and in what order to open, like a pre-programmed decision tree that has to be handed out before the fight even begins.
Simplicity first! A decision tree for the entire campaign (vs. individual components in one phase) is probably possible in some cases, but that makes it vulnerable to the unforeseen.
A favorite conversation with a U.S. Army Major while working as a civilian Subject Matter Expert for an Army exercise was his answer that “we have a plan so that we know what we are deviating from.”
It is impractical, but it could be a fun game or thought experiment. The unforseen will really mess things up, true.