Dr. Robert Lyman and Lord Dannatt discuss lessons learned from victories and defeats, challenges in developing military doctrine, and the importance of logistics. They also explore the interwar period's impact on contemporary strategic environments and the need for military-government collaboration in doctrine development.
German Army developed superior doctrine by integrating lessons learned from WWI and leveraging evolving technology for operational effects.
British Army faced challenges in adapting to technological advances, struggling with doctrine and logistics integration in interwar years.
Deep dives
The German Army's Superior Doctrine and Technological Advances
The German Army was able to develop superior doctrine by effectively integrating lessons learned from World War I and leveraging evolving technology. They focused on using tanks to achieve operational effects by bypassing enemy positions and utilizing cross-country mobility. They prioritized mobility, good tracks, and psychological effects to disorient and destabilize the enemy. They also emphasized the importance of having the ability to defeat enemy armor with good guns. The Germans practiced extensively, honing their skills and maintaining a sharp edge.
Challenges in British Army's Army Doctrine and Logistics
The British Army faced challenges in adapting to technological advances and integrating doctrine and logistics. They struggled to extrapolate the impact of technology on the battlefield, particularly in communications and tanks. Their logistics capability degraded in the interwar years, with a lack of integration between combat support and combat service support. The doctrine and structure of logistical resupply were based on a defensive army's perspective, lacking consideration for offensive or maneuver scenarios. This failure of vision and inadequate planning hindered their ability to respond effectively in the Second World War.
The Importance of Trust and Grand Strategic Planning
A crucial aspect of improving military and government cooperation is building trust between the two entities. Politicians need to trust the armed forces and recognize the importance of a solid grand strategic plan. This plan should outline potential worst-case scenarios, determine required force structures and capabilities, and allow for effective integration of military and government efforts. The British Army's experience highlights the need for a close relationship between political and military leadership to ensure a logical strategic plan and adequate funding for defense. Politicians must understand and value the role of the armed forces in national security.
Lessons for Today: Maintaining Military Capability and Strategic Preparedness
Lessons from history emphasize the importance of maintaining military capability and strategic preparedness. As technology advances and the nature of conflicts continues to evolve, nations cannot afford to neglect their military forces. It is crucial to recognize the need for fully integrated capabilities, including combat support, fires, and sustainment resources. Politicians must prioritize the country's defense and understand the potential risks and fracturing in the world. Maintaining a strong and capable military requires constant conversation, honest assessments, and a commitment to funding and training. Prioritizing national security and strategic planning is essential, even in times of relative peace.
This is the third episode in a three part interview with Dr Robert Lyman about 'Victory to Defeat: The British Army 1918-40', a book he co-wrote with Lord Dannatt, who served as the Chief of the General Staff from 2006 to 2009.
This episode looks at how lessons are learnt from victories and defeats and the difficulties in developing doctrine when not in combat. We discuss the lessons from logistics doctrine development along with why it took so long for doctrine to be combat ready - for the British in was 2nd El Alamein. Finally we look for the lessons from the interwar period for the contemporary strategic environment.
Check out the show notes for this Professional Military Education podcast for all of the information that we cover in this episode as well as the images and other details that didn't make it into the podcast. There is also a catalogue of episodes on Leadership, the Principles of War, military history, and Mission Command.
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