Main blow
The main blow is a military concept described by Carl von Clausewitz .
Definition by von Clausewitz
In his book Vom Kriege , von Clausewitz describes the main blow as follows:
"The gathering of the armed forces as a whole, which takes place more or less in all wars, already indicates the intention to deal a major blow with this whole, either voluntarily like the attacker, or induced by the other like the defender."
Interpretation of different countries
The concept of the main strike then found application in many armed forces around the world, with the details being defined differently. Here are some examples:
Soviet Union / Russia
The main strike (also: main thrust ; Russian Главный удар Glawny udar ) plays a special role in Soviet war theory. According to this principle, a preponderance of forces should be brought about in the decisive direction and at the decisive time. He is also a household name in Soviet politics .
Military importance
The Soviet theory of war attaches particular importance to the principle of concentration of forces. This principle played a special role in the philosophy of Marxism-Leninism . Friedrich Engels wrote about the Battle of Leuktra :
" Epaminondas was the first to recognize the great tactical principle that decides almost all regular battles to this day: the uneven distribution of troops on the front line in order to concentrate the main attack on a crucial point."
The main blow is the predominant form of concentration of forces. Determining the main strike was seen as the predominant problem of strategy and considered of the utmost importance.
In the pre-war period, a strength ratio of 2: 1 or 3: 1 was considered a minimum superiority. During the war, according to Garthoff, a ratio of 6: 1 was aimed for, with a minimum of 4: 1.
One or more main strokes were supplemented by secondary strokes in order to leave the opponent in the unclear about the direction of the main stroke, to split his forces and thus to ensure the predominance of the main stroke. The main blow should be roughly three times stronger than a secondary blow.
The main thrust is part of the main shock, since a shock of a barrage and a shock of the forces is.
In the battle for the Seelow Heights , the main strike was at the 1st Belorussian Front under the command of Georgi Konstantinowitsch Schukow .
Relationship to politics
During Stalinism , the principle was ascribed to Stalin's authorship and genius. In his essay "On the question of the strategy and tactics of the Russian communists", he wrote:
“To determine the direction of the main strike means to determine the nature of the operations for the whole period of the war, thus to determine nine-tenths of the outcome of the whole war. That is the task of the strategy. The same can be said about political strategy. "
For Garthoff, the significant role assigned to this principle arose from the Bolshevik drive for planning and control.
United States
The main blow is called in the US Army Center of Gravity (CoG). The current definition (as of 2014) within asymmetrical warfare in the fight against insurgents is:
"The center of gravity in a counterinsurgency is the protection of the population that hosts it."
"The main strike against insurgents is the protection of the population that houses them."
To avoid the main blow of an (insurgent) opponent, the following doctrine is used:
"A direct approach attacks the enemy's center of gravity or principal strength by applying combat power directly against it. An indirect approach attacks the enemy's center of gravity by applying combat power against a series of decisive points that lead to the defeat of the center of gravity while avoiding the enemy strength. "
“A direct strike against the enemy's main strike or main force is the direct attack against them. An indirect strike against the enemy main strike is carried out through a series of combat missions against important points, which lead to the suppression of the main strike while avoiding it at the same time. "
literature
- Carl von Clausewitz: Clausewitz: From the war
- Raymond L. Garthoff: The Soviet Army. Essence and teaching . Cologne 1955.
Individual evidence
- ↑ von Clausewitz, Chapter 11
- ↑ Quotation from KS Moskalenko : In the southwest direction. Berlin 1979, Volume 2, p. 488.
- ↑ Garthoff, p. 161 f.
- ↑ Article Schlag in: Author collective: Military Lexicon . Military Publishing House of the German Democratic Republic , Berlin 1973, p. 329.
- ^ Order of the Stawka No. 11059 of April 2, 1945. Printed in: Alexander Hill: The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet Union, 1941-45. A documentary reader . Abingdon 2009, Document 159.
- ^ JW Stalin: Works , Volume 5, p. 92. Online
- ↑ Garthoff, p. 165.
- ^ Headquarters, Department of the Army: Insurances and countering insurgencies. U.S. Army, June 2, 2014, accessed October 10, 2019 .