currently based on an outdated view of warfare. He concludes that if opera-
tional art is to be relevant and useful in the future, we must understand it as ‘a
combination of a free, creative, and original expression of the use of force and
forces; a design; and direction, an expression of the character and aptitude of
the artist’.
More than anything else, operational art is an intellectual framework. Though
different armies at different times and places have taken and still take different views
of the concept, ever since it emerged during the nineteenth century it has distin-
guished the master from the plodder, the successful commander from the mere
butcher. On the one hand, no commander can guarantee victory simply by master-
ing operational art better than his opponents can, and history offers many examples
that support this assertion. On the other hand, take away operational art in both
defensive and offensive campaigns, and basically all that remains of warfare is the
pursuit of destruction. Without operational art—the interplay of move and
counter-move and the attempt to confuse the enemy, mislead him, alter his mental
and physical balance, hit him where it hurts most, and exploit success most effec-
tively—war would merely be a series of tactical actions with relative attrition as the
measure of advance or retreat, success or failure.
The evolution of operational art has seemingly reached a critical point follow-
ing almost two decades of strategic bewilderment caused by the end of the Cold
War, exasperating peace operations, and 9/11. But regardless of theformthat
future conflicts may take, officers in national and international forces will find
themselves tasked with translating short-term operations into a larger operation-
al design that links their near-term actions to the strategic aim of the campaign.
Military leaders who study and practice operational art will always need expertise
in matching strategy with tactics; that is, in linking what should be achieved with
what must be done. Such expertise comes about through general education,
training, and wartime experience, but knowledge of how the concept evolved
can further assist in developing professional excellence.
Undoubtedly, interpretations and applications of operational art will differ
widely in accordance with each commander’s mission, personality, and priorities.
Yet there is a common thread: from a problem-solving perspective, operational
art will make it possible to take an unstructured problem and give it sufficient
structure to ensure that further planning can lead to useful action. 3 Understand-
ing the operational level of war, operational art, and operational warfare im-
proves the fundamental understanding of military operations per se, and
therefore underlies all military successes. Consequently, whatever else officers
may study and master—organization, leadership, intelligence, technology, logis-
tics—they must have operational art at their fingertips.
At the very least, operational art will remain essential when recognized as a
methodology that enables the effective planning and execution of all operations.
At its best, operational art can play a pivotal role in military success when skilled
leaders apply it in its full dimensions—functioning as true artists to give expres-
sion to a nation’s strategic vision.
224 The Evolution of Operational Art