ABSTRACT
In describing the nature of armed conflict, Carl von Clausewitz wrote that war was an instrument of policy with an admixture of other means. A nation’s political leadership designated allies and enemies, established the political goals of a conflict, altered them if necessary and terminated the conflict. The military was an instrument of the state. Ideally, strategy should flow from a clear understanding of policy and be sufficiently flexible to follow any policy adjustments made during the course of a conflict. Such was not the case with American strategic planning.
