Recent Publications

Planning For and Applying Military Force: An Examination of Terms
March 1, 2006 — Author: LTG Paul K Van Riper The author briefly examines current and in some cases still evolving definitions in joint doctrine--especially as regards strategy, center of gravity, decisive point, and commander's intent. He discusses the heritage of those concepts and terms, most of which derived from the writings of Clausewitz and Sun Tzu, and... MORE

Clausewitz’s Center of Gravity: Changing Our Warfighting Doctrine–Again!
September 1, 2002 — Author: Dr Antulio J Echevarria II The author cuts through the myriad interpretations surrounding the concept and gets back to the original idea as conceived by its author, the Prussian military theorist, Carl von Clausewitz. In going back to the original concept, Lieutenant Colonel Echevarria reveals that Clausewitz intended the center of gravity... MORE

Strategic Plans, Joint Doctrine and Antipodean Insights
October 20, 1995 — Authors: Prof Douglas C Lovelace Jr, Dr Thomas-Durell Young This is the second in an analytical series on joint issues. It follows the authors' U.S. Department of Defense Strategic Planning: The Missing Nexus, in which they articulated the need for more formal joint strategic plans. This essay examines the effect such plans would have on joint... MORE