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Navy Journal 2019

accompanying factors. Besides, the operational strategy of different nations,
forces and under different leadership may vary. The US strategy of ‘embargo’ in
Iraq War to exhaust the Iraqi militarily, economically and psychologically was
different from the unconventional guerrilla strategy of Bengali freedom fighters
in 1971 war.
Military forces mainly draw strength from own nation and country. The
geo-strategic location and its influence in the region, historical and cultural
background, mindset of the people etc are integral features of a nation’s military
strength. Chinese thinker Confucius and Sun Tzu both had a common perception
1
for ‘san-shi’ or ‘strategic advantage’which influenced the Qin dynasty to build
the ‘Great Wall’ to prevent the Mongolian invaders. As such, the military
planners should rightly utilize the strategic advantage for the success in a
campaign. Geo-strategic location, nationalistic unity of the people,
industrialization etc can add strategic advantage in own favor.

Emergence of Operational Level
Kingship versus Generalship. In earlier wars, Kings were the decision
makers (Strategic Level) and also the war planners (Operational Level) which
made the military operational level hibernated. Macedonian Generals were
inactive when Alexander ignored their proposal to skip the Indus Valley
expedition - the result was a defeat. Strategists like Clausewitz and Liddell Hart
could sense that the ‘operational level’ was hidden inactively because of the
strategic supremacy. Germans were pioneer in recognizing it although Hitler had
the same notion of strategic supremacy overruling his operational level
commanders. Later, Clausewitz’s concept gained better momentum in the U.S
Army where it was tagged to be pivotal in campaign.

Operational Level as the ‘Task Manager’. The strategic level
(President/Cabinet/National Security Council) determines the purpose of the
war. Accordingly, the operational level (Joint Service’s HQ/Service’s HQ) plans
and initiates supporting campaign plan. Finally, the component commanders
issue operation orders for the tactical elements to fight. So, primarily the
operational level is the planner and connector between the strategic desire and

1. Lai David, Learning from the Stones: A GO Approach to Mastering China’s Strategic Concept, SHI. Strategic Studies
Institute, May 2004.

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