Blog Post #4: Art of War and USNA

Sun Tzu’s Art of War paints a picture of war as being a set of principles that, if followed, will guarantee victory. The view on war as depicted in this reading is one of order and mental preparation. Sun Tzu does not believe in just using brute force in order to win. He speaks more on the mental aspect with things such as deception, strategy, understanding how and when to do something, and always being prepared for the unexpected. I don’t believe that he makes all of these principles black and white. He gives us a little bit of room to interpret how each of these applies to war. The overarching philosophy is that war is determined more by strategy and preparation than physical force. There are some aspects of Art of War that align with the Naval Academy and some that seem to diverge in another direction.

One philosophy that Sun Tzu mentions that doesn’t align with what we are taught at the Naval Academy is “The Way”. He writes, “The Way / Causes men / To be of one mind / With their rulers, / To live or die with them, / And never to waver.” This seems to imply that one’s subordinates should always follow their ruler, or superior officer. It wants them to almost be robots and think in the same way that they think in. As future officers, we are taught to go into the fleet with an open mind and listen to our chiefs and enlisted sailors. There will be times they have ideas that work better than our own and they must be able to present them. There are obviously times in the heat of war where one must receive orders and act quickly. He or she must trust those orders. However, blindly following your leaders is not something we learn is a good habit in our military and that seems to be what is insinuated in these lines.

A theory that does coincide with what we learn is the constant idea that we must be ready for the unexpected. Much of war is about much more than just brute force and there are countless examples of that throughout our history. One of the first lines that we heard every morning during Plebe Summer was “be comfortable being uncomfortable”. This closely relates to always being prepared for whatever comes next. Not only reacting to things we don’t expect, but surprising the other side is crucial in today’s conflicts. Many classes we take such as Ethics and Naval History teach us decision making and how it has affected battles in the past.

Overall, I think that the overarching philosophy used by Sun Tzu does relate closely with what we learn at the Naval Academy in terms of war not just being physical, but there being much strategy involved as well. However, I feel that the Academy’s teaching is more effective because while it teaches us this importance, there are also times that physical force is needed. I also don’t agree with the previously discussed fundamental about The Way. While there are good points made in Art of War, the way we teach it now is more modernized and effective in terms of today’s battles.

Words: 535

The Art of War or Ethics at USNA

At the Naval Academy, studies focus mostly on students acquiring technical skills that can be applied in our respective communities when we commission. Instead of war tactics, we focus more on the makeup and operation of equipment that could potentially be used in a time of war, and the ethical studies of war. Unlike our counterpart at the United States Military Academy, there is not an immediate need to learn war tactics. Despite the lack of training in war tactics at USNA, we can still compare to how the Art of War is applied to our military today.

The Art of War focuses on the importance of strategy against a foe and understanding the enemy, the environment, and the reason of the leaders. For example, if a general does not value the life of his men, and sends them to fight at a disadvantage with no regard to their well-being, the chances of winning the battle decrease exponentially. Although the Naval Academy does not necessarily teach war tactics, the lessons taught in the ethics courses help to ensure that the future commissioned officers are able to make decisions that are not detrimental to the unit they will eventually be leading. As future naval officers, we are taught different philosophies, and we conduct case studies by the various philosophical theories to understand the pros and cons of our decisions. By understanding

According to the Art of War, Sun-Tzu states that to achieve victory, a military must “have officers and men who share a single will.” For officers and to obtain a single will means for them to understand the ideals of their nation and their goals in winning the war. It is the officers’ job as leaders to motivate, educate, and take care of their men while at the same time understanding the enemy. The courses in ethics may not provide insight into war, but it provides us with an understanding of reason, which serves well when we have to make decisions in combat.

Although the way we fight wars is much more different than years past, we can still use the fundamentals taught in the Art of War. However, I find it more useful for leaders to study ethics as it will be necessary when making decisions that can determine the life and death of other people in their command.

by Carlos Gallardo

Word Count: 408

Works Cited

Sun-Tzu. The Art of War. Trans. John Minford. London: Penguin, 2009.

The Galactic Roman Empire

In the ancient Roman Empire Julius Caesar came to power through a mix of political savvy as well as the possession of a large army to force all who opposed him into submission. Once in power, Caesar focused on expanding the Roman territory while also fighting off incursions and rebellions such as the one posed by his most powerful enemy, Pompey. In both his rise to power and his conduct as the ruler of Rome, Caesar conducted himself in a similar way to Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars.

Palpatine came into power by first rising through the Galactic Senate and gaining influence among its members, eventually becoming the Supreme Chancellor. Palpatine simultaneously gained control over the Galactic Army, before overthrowing the Galactic Republic and establishing the Galactic Empire. Similarly, Julius Caesar developed influential relationships with members of the Senate through his charisma and wealth, and became popular among the common people as a successful military general that expanded Rome’s borders and brought back the fruits of war. Once he was powerful enough, Caesar marched his Army on Rome and essentially assumed the position of dictator without publicly referring to himself as such. The similarities in the Emperors’ rises to power emphasize that both were manipulative and scheming individuals who had the cunning to achieve their goals.

As for the Empires themselves, in the Star Wars universe the Empire is an oppressive regime which stomps out unrest and insubordination with its great power. This is demonstrated by the Empire’s development and use of the Death Star to destroy entire planets as a show of force, in order to cause the other systems in its control to obey them out of fear. In the case of the Roman Empire it is obviously not as severe, but the Roman Legions were used to conquer enemies and instill good order and obedience in the conquered. In the event of a rebellion, the rebelling forces would be met with great force and eliminated. This use of power to instill fear and thus obedience is one of the most common themes throughout all of mankind.

In the United States we of course would not compare ourselves to an oppressive empire such as the one in Star Wars, but we may share more resemblance with it than we would like to admit. For instance, in the early years of our existence Shays Rebellion arose and was met by U.S. forces led by George Washington. The rebellion was squashed and this act by the federal government showed that rebellions and disobedience (at least when to the point of violence) would not be tolerated. Continuing with the trend of our military, because of how powerful our military is, if someone was to in some way gain control over it and turn it against the government, they would most likely gain control over the entire country (If the second amendment doesn’t get in there way) and be able to rule in a similar fashion to the Emperor in Star Wars.

Ultimately there do not seem to be near as many similarities between the U.S. and the Galactic Empire as a power such as the Roman Empire, but we must be careful not to immediately assume our nation is not victim to the same follies. (545 Words)

Ross Woods

The Art of War in the Academy

Sun Tzu’s Art of War is a military treatise that describes various aspects of warfare, which had set the standard for many military strategies today. The Art of War has had great influence on East Asian warfare. In addition, this piece of writing has been translated to give advice in areas of modern day culture, including leadership, business, legal thinking, and more. As a whole, one of Sun Tzu’s over-arching philosophies was to plan for anything. Planning for any event has a major impact on the success of the actual event. In many aspects, this is also taught in the Naval Academy for various situations involving everyday academy life and their future in the military.

Having a plan is many times half the battle. In Sun Tzu’s military treatise, he mentions “The skillful strategist defeats the enemy without doing battle, captures the city without laying siege” (Sun Tzu). When you blindly run onto a battlefield, thinking that you can defeat the enemy purely based on having greater size in numbers, you are bound to be defeated. However, if you have a plan such as capturing the enemy leader and making them surrender, you are able to win the war without firing a single bullet. A plan can make a great difference in any situation, such as academics at the Naval Academy. At the academy, before the first semester of classes, plebes will receive their weekly class schedule. Within the week before school starts, the plebes are told to find their classrooms beforehand since they are unfamiliar with the academic buildings, so that when they actually have such classes, they will be able to plan the fastest route from class to class. This will help them be on time for class and not worry about getting lost. However, there is still a difference between a good plan and a bad plan.

When you “Plan for anything,” you will be able to adapt to any situation, and not let any roadblocks slow you down. In the Art of War, it says “Attack where he is unprepared;Appear where you are unexpected…Be ready for the unexpected” (Sun Tzu). If you attack your enemy off their guard, they will not be ready for you. The element of surprise can trip anyone up, hence the effect of the surprise. This is also why you must be prepared for anything that comes at you, so that you are not caught off guard. During plebe summer at the academy, plebes are told to always carry around a notebook and a pen. This is so that whenever there is a learning opportunity, they will be able to write it down and look back upon it. You never know when someone is going to give you words of wisdom, as you must be able to take advantage of any opportunity.

The Naval Academy understands the Art of War not only for its military tactics, but on a deeper level of developing a great leader. Planning ahead and being prepared for anything helps midshipmen become leaders that are flexible and able to adapt to any situation.

Works Cited

Sun-tzu. The Art of War. Penguin, 2009.

Word Count: 517

The Tragedy of the Death Star

The death star is one of the most iconic weapons in film history. In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, the destruction of the death star is the epic conclusion to the opening film of the series. The destruction of the Death star was celebrated in theaters all around the world when the movie opened in May of 1977 and is seen as a triumphant victors by the “good guys”. Audiences assume that the rebels are the good guys due to the way the film was written and directed. It would have been just at easy to make the Jedi a bitter group of fanatics full of people dedicated to an antiquated religion; but the empire is the antagonist. Looking at the death star attack from the point of view of the empire is an extremely different type of attack. From the aspect of a storm trooper it seems like a small group of disgruntled rebels attacked a major base and killed hundreds of thousands of men. However this attack to the rebels, was a great success that cut deep into the heart of the oppressive empire. This example shows that the morally sound thing to do depends on the side one chooses to be on. This idea is very similar to how Americans look at the things that our country has done in the name of liberty and victory.

Modern America has chosen to justify many of the actions that our founding fathers and military leaders has done in the name of our freedom. Washington attacking the British on Christmas day was something that if looked at from an unbiased point of view, could seem morally reprehensible. The bombing of Japan to end World War II was a good idea for America but was a devastating attack similar to the destruction of Alderaan. The pattern of similarities continues to this day. After the attack on the world trade centers in 2001 the United States began its war on terror. A byproduct of this war is the use of the Muslim scapegoat to blame for many of the problems that are occurring throughout the world. This is the same thing that was done in Episode III, when the Jedi were blamed for the collapse of the old empire. The Jedi were not to blame, but to many in the public, this was a logical thought that led to the rise of the galactic empire. Our modern government is not evil or led by a madman who shoots lightning out of his hands but there are some similarities. These similarities occur in government around the world and throughout time because of the harsh truth that the morally just actions are decided by the victors.

WC:454

Ryan Franco

Sun Tzu vs. USNA

Sun Tzu was a great Chinese military strategist, and his works such as Art of War have carried his name through generations and cultures. The Art of War is not specific to war; it addresses strategy in a broad way, and its lessons have been made use of in business and politics throughout time. The text outlines theories of battle, but it also advocates diplomacy and the cultivation of relationships with other nations as essential to the health of a state.

Sun Tzu makes many generalizations about life in Art of War, one of which is “Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting.” I believe one of Sun Tzu’s over-arching philosophies is to have a plan, yet be able to adapt to situations as they arise. This hinge on preparation is evident in Art of War as he writes about knowing your enemy, and being able to defeat your enemy without ever coming to arms. Sun Tzu believed this could be accomplished through preparation, and I believe we Midshipmen prepare to become officers in the Navy in the same way. One form in which I see this idea materialized is in our study of history at the Academy. We learn about the past through a lens focused on future military dominance. We are studying the past in such a way as to be able to anticipate the actions of our enemy in the future. This is one major idea that Sun Tzu puts forth in his writing, and one example is his quote “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.” This perfectly captures his take on preparation and its importance in military strategy.

At the same time however, military strategy and history is by no means the core of our curriculum, but rather a facet of our training to become great leaders. The idea behind the Naval Academy is to produce well-equipped military leaders for service in today’s Navy. This mission, while requiring some knowledge of the strategy behind how a war is fought, focuses primarily on teaching us what we need to know to lead warriors. Such higher-level strategic thinking which incorporates Sun Tzu’s teachings may be found in institutions like the Naval War College, where senior officers go to learn real strategic thinking. In short, we are not taught much military strategy here at the Naval Academy, but we can compare some lessons we learn here to the tactics applied in the big Navy.

Works Cited

McNeilly, Mark R. (2001), Sun Tzu and the Art of Modern Warfare, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-513340-4.

Sun-tzu. The Art of War. Penguin, 2009.

Words: 427

Star Wars: An Empire Just Like That

Blake Bizousky

The Imperial Empire from George Lucas’s Star Wars can be seen to have some direct parallels to the Roman Empire. Rome, in approximately 500 B.C., originally had a republic as the centerpiece of their government. However, after the risk of a civil war within the Republic, political dissatisfaction, and a slave revolt, three powerful men took charge of Rome. These three men were known as the Triumvirate, consisting of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, came into power around 60 B.C. After some time, Caesar and Pompey both wanted to become the overall ruler of Rome. After a defeat at Pharsalus, Pompey fled. In short, Caesar had assassins kill the assassins who killed Pompey and then he took control of Rome. Once in total control, the transition into the Roman Empire began.

The similarities between the rises of the Imperial Empire in Star Wars to the true history of the Roman Empire can be seen quite clearly. In Star Wars Episode I: A Phantom Menace, the galaxy far far away is governed by the Galactic Republic, with each planet having a group of representatives. From the start, the ancient Roman civilization and the Star Wars universe share an equivalent government structure. Even more alike both republics are ousted by an empire.

Within Star Wars Episode III, the Republic begins to crumble and falls. Inside of the Galactic Republic, Senator Palpatine first places himself in total control of Republic with the approval of the other senators, making himself Supreme Chancellor. Once in the role of Supreme Chancellor, or as I like to call it, “Totally Not Emperor,” Chancellor Palpatine issues Order 66, commanding all troops of the Republic’s army to kill all Jedi, the ones who keep the balance in the universe. If you are keeping in the back of your mind the way Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire came into power it may seem a little similar. Just like Caesar, Palpatine put himself in a position of authority over the entire republic. Once in a position of a authority of the republic, both emperors followed through that their enemy executed.

Not long ago in a galaxy that isn’t far away at all, the current American government compared to the Roman Empire has some similarities. It is shocking to think that such a negative empire can parallel our current government. However, during the Roman Empire, they were a global power and force to be reckoned with. This immense power at the time led to Romans believing that they were superior to all other countries of their time. I would argue that the pride the Romans’ had in themselves is very similar to the pride American’s have today. As a nation, the United States has positioned itself as a global power exactly like Rome. Even so, the U.S. and Rome both dabbled in foreign affairs and foreign wars, for Rome there was the Punic Wars and the Macedonian Wars as for the U.S., there was WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and countless others. Overall, through their global power alone the United States and Rome can be parallel to one another.

Word Count – 518

USNA v. Sun Tzu

Maxwell Shuman

In Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, he uses a repeating set of a fundamental five tenets to get across the best way to achieve victory in war. It seems that the overarching philosophy which Sun Tzu employ’s that the winner and the loser of a battle is predetermined and can be seen in the way which different campaigns make a plan and train for victory. While Sun Tzu goes into detail on the actual strategies of war and battle I think that the most applicable part to what we are taught at the naval academy falls under the umbrella of chapter one, “Making of Plans.” A large part of war and preparation here at the academy is that of basic leadership characteristics. In his first fundamental of the making of plans Sun Tzu talks of “The Way” and the overall idea that a group must be bought in and committed to a cause. This can be translated to life here at the academy as we are taught each and every day that if we do not work together to accomplish a goal, our efforts will fall to shambles on the ground. An example of this is the Herndon Monument climb at the end of plebe year. This event takes hundreds of plebes stacked on top of one another to complete and if even one decides that they do not want to help anymore, the entire pyramid could collapse upon itself.

In another respect some of Sun Tzu’s perspective is contradictory to that of the Naval Academy. Sun Tzu goes on to discuss the Way of war which he claims to be a way of deception. I think that when it comes to wartime strategy this could be useful against a common enemy, however here at USNA it is rare that deception or deceit would be accepted as a “good” strategy. Instead, the academy preaches honor and honesty as major tenets for future Navy and Marine Corps officers. I think that when it comes to the development and training of men and women in the military it is important to teach and preach the ideals of integrity so that they may not go back on this and cut corners in the future.

While Sun Tzu’s philosophy in The Art of War is highly touted and in some ways is very reflective of the strategies military’s today use, I think the Naval Academy does a good job adding on to his outlook to create for an officer who will lead sailors and marines effectively in today’s wars.

Word Count: 426

The Art of the Dea– of War

Sun Tzu’s fame comes from his massive military success against overwhelming odds. His profession as a military leader made his non aggressive, intellectual prose in Art of War very surprising to me. Art of War almost seems to be relaying the philosophies of Sun Tzu, rather than simply military tactics. His overarching philosophy can be summarized briefly: war is not about valor or bravery, it is about cold hard tactics and reasoning. If one “out-reasons” his enemy, he will certainly achieve success in battle. Art of War is laden with examples of this philosophy.

For example, Sun Tzu is quoted, “Follow the advantage // And master opportunity // This is the dynamic.” In life and in war, his philosophy somewhat resembles Daoism. Follow the path of least resistance, and this is often the correct path. In battle, if the enemy outnumbers you ten to one, do not attempt a frontal assault. In life, if insurmountable obstacles stand between you and your goals, look for an opportunity to circumvent the problems rather than trying to topple them to no avail. Instead of the Greek and Roman wartime ideals of valor and bravery, Sun Tzu uses reason and opportunism as more consistent tools for success.

Another important part of Sun Tzu’s philosophy is his disregard for individual success. Sun Tzu does not talk whatsoever about warriors fighting courageously in battle, or clever tacticians leading frontal assaults on enemies in overwhelming odds. Sun Tzu instead promotes a sort of “hive mind” philosophy, where the entire army acts as if it were one single being, with no individual soldier being of particular importance.

Although we don’t learn tactics at the Naval Academy (so I can’t compare Sun Tzu’s tactical comments to our own), I think we embrace a philosophy very different from that of Sun Tzu. Similar to the Greeks and Romans, we at the academy idolize men and women who display valor on the battlefield. A sense of personal importance rather than the “hive mind” philosophy prevails. This is evident in classes like Ethics where we’re taught to evaluate the morality of orders we are given. In Sun Tzu’s army, it is essential that the soldiers do as they are told no matter the morality, whereas at the Academy, we are taught the importance of Officers’ refusing to blindly follow orders. The strength of Tzu’s force comes in total obedience. Our military’s strength stems from the quality of individual soldiers and their abilities to make individual decisions on the battlefield. This also explains the huge cultural difference between civilian life in the United States and in Ancient China.

In war, I it’s hard to say whether the philosophy we learn at the Academy is “better or worse” than that taught by Sun Tzu. They both can be effective in war, as has been proven by a history of conflicts in Ancient China and in U.S. history, so I think the main differentiation between the two philosophies arises in the fundamental values of each system. Where Sun Tzu promotes absolute obedience and downplays individuality of soldiers, we, as a school and a military, encourage individual thought/achievement.

Who needs the Naval Academy when we have the Art of War…?

The constant volley between war and peace has left many people wondering how to achieve success over an enemy. Sun Tzu understood that there was a strategy behind warfare and wrote down his observations in the Art of War. The beauty of his work is that his ancient strategies have held constant even in the evolving challenges of modern war. The unconventional tactics first recognized 1500 years ago amazingly still work today. At the Naval Academy, we are being trained to see vulnerabilities in order to achieve success for America as military officers. As we learn the techniques behind achieving reliable information, making good decisions, and becoming leaders who inspire others, the Art of War ironically mirrors the Naval Academy leadership preparation framework.
As we undergo only four years of learning at the Naval Academy, we are all stuck with an inevitability, knowledge is power in everything from academics to the hall leadership opportunities. Those with good information succeed. Tzu echoes this in the Art of War again and again; knowledge wins wars. “Unless you are kept informed of the enemy’s condition, and are ready to strike at the right moment. A war may drag on for years.” If you know your enemy you know what your goal is which allows you to plan against it. This takes place daily at the Naval Academy, from getting the information to select a good teacher to learn about what a study abroad program is looking for, that information allows you to achieve success. For many service selection communities, there is a lot of training required in order to compete well in screenings to achieve that service selection. Only by talking to people can you understand that you need to do lifts that improve muscular endurance/ stabilizer muscles and need to use a four-pronged attack to train for success. Information is a very effective way to plan against a particular goal at the Naval Academy and in ancient Chinese warfare 1500 years ago.
When Tzu wrote down his observations, email and constant communication and overflow we not just a thing of the future, they were imaginable. As we continue our journey throughout the Naval Academy, the information age isn’t just the online capacity it’s the assumptions of other people from face to face interactions and social media profiles for midshipmen peer ranking. As Tzu says, great leaders don’t just gather information, they actively exploit and manipulate the assumptions of the other side. While I don’t particularly like the idea of manipulating the opinion of others for personal gain, the system of the Naval Academy requires just that to succeed. Tzu emphasizes, “Hence when able to attack we must seem unable, when using our forces we must seem inactive.” This happens to be taught naturally at the academy when students need to demonstrate knowledge and mastery on academic material when they might not have that mastery on an exam. Maybe I am doing that technique right now to show the intricate dynamic in the Art of War philosophy when I’m just trying to go to bed, the world may never know, and if I did my job correctly according to Tzu you would never know. Did I fool you or
As the world of warfare becomes ever more complex, the Art of war remains a constant basic guide to follow, especially in our Naval Academy education.