ABSTRACT
There must be a logical sequence to the study of war. Just because war is inherently paradoxical and chaotic does not mean that there cannot be a logical approach to its study. Indeed the only way to understand war’s paradoxes may be by using a systematic approach. Basic to any organized group being able to understand what it is doing is a shared theoretical body of knowledge which guides it. For the application of military force to attain national goals this body of knowledge is a theory of war. A theory of war does not have to be very complicated, in fact, the simpler the theory the better the chances it might be understood and even used by the people actually involved in the planning and application of military force.
