This may be useful in considering which course of action is best: The Principles of War are frequently mentioned as a valuable, ingrained, check list toward achieving success. I. Objective - Every military operation should be directed towards a clearly defined, decisive and attainable objective. II. Offense - Seize, retain and exploit the initiative. III. Mass - Concentrate combat power at the decisive place and time. IV. Economy of Force - Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts. V. Maneuver - Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of combat power. VI. Unity of Command - For every objective, there should be unity of effort under one responsible commander. VII. Security - Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage. VIII. Surprise - Strike the enemy at a time and/or place and in a manner for which he is unprepared. IX Simplicity - Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and clear, concise orders to insure thorough understanding. Back to Dispatch March 2002 Table of Contents Back to Dispatch List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 2001 by HMGS Mid-South This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com