Description
Excerpt from England in the Seven Years'' War, Vol. 2 of 2: A Study in Combined Strategy
SO far, the correct line for England to pursue had been comparatively clear and easy to follow; but when France, finding her first design for expanding the war ineffective, went a step further and decided to make a direct attack upon the British Islands, the case became more complex. The question at once arose whether the time had not now come for abandoning the defensive attitude which had hitherto sufficed. Pitt above all men was a believer in the supreme efficacy of the offensive. In our history he may be taken to stand for that faith, as Napoleon stands for it in France; and yet it was Napoleon who wrote, The whole art of war consists in a well reasoned and strictly judicious defensive,'' followed by audacious and rapid attack. Such too was Pitt''s faith. N O man grasped more firmly than he the absolute dependence of the ofi''ensive upon a foundation of defence, and no one moreover know better that where the offensive is not directed justly at the main object of the war, it is mere superstition and untutored instinct. TO meet ofi''ence by quicker and more violent ofi''ence was the keynote of Pitt''s method, but he never permitted the brilliance of the conception to blind him. He never forgot that to be tempted into taking the ofi''ensive in an area which was not the true area of the war, and in which the enemy was naturally the stronger, was not to show vigour, but to play stupidly into the enemy''s hands. We have only to follow his handling of the new situation to see how true was his eye and how masterly his grasp Of war.
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Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
SO far, the correct line for England to pursue had been comparatively clear and easy to follow; but when France, finding her first design for expanding the war ineffective, went a step further and decided to make a direct attack upon the British Islands, the case became more complex. The question at once arose whether the time had not now come for abandoning the defensive attitude which had hitherto sufficed. Pitt above all men was a believer in the supreme efficacy of the offensive. In our history he may be taken to stand for that faith, as Napoleon stands for it in France; and yet it was Napoleon who wrote, The whole art of war consists in a well reasoned and strictly judicious defensive,'' followed by audacious and rapid attack. Such too was Pitt''s faith. N O man grasped more firmly than he the absolute dependence of the ofi''ensive upon a foundation of defence, and no one moreover know better that where the offensive is not directed justly at the main object of the war, it is mere superstition and untutored instinct. TO meet ofi''ence by quicker and more violent ofi''ence was the keynote of Pitt''s method, but he never permitted the brilliance of the conception to blind him. He never forgot that to be tempted into taking the ofi''ensive in an area which was not the true area of the war, and in which the enemy was naturally the stronger, was not to show vigour, but to play stupidly into the enemy''s hands. We have only to follow his handling of the new situation to see how true was his eye and how masterly his grasp Of war.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Details
Publisher - Forgotten Books
Language - English
Hardback
Contributors
Author
Julian S. Corbett
Published Date -
ISBN - 9780265348802
Dimensions - 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm
Page Count - 421
Paperback
Contributors
Author
Julian S. Corbett
Published Date -
ISBN - 9781330923191
Dimensions - 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.3 cm
Page Count - 423
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