Prescription for the Counterstroke

<p>The purpose of this paper is to determine at the operational level of war those factors in the defense which support a successful defensive-offensive and in particular to examine those factors relevant to the NATO Center today. The study incorporates a theoretical examination of the mobile defense; looks at several operational level counterstrokes to distill from them their historical constants; applies those lessons to the defense of the NATO Center today; and briefly explores the concept of airmechanization. The author concludes that attrition warfare is an increasingly unacceptable approach to combat for the U.S. Army and that a maneuver style of war is more appropriate particularly in the NATO Center. If so then a mobile defense is the most likely means of successfully executing such a maneuver system. Furthermore the counterstroke as an integral component of the mobile defense capitalizes upon the tenets of initiative and agility. The counterstroke force however requires a significant agility differential on the battlefield most easily achieved thorough mobility. Since as von Senger advises all modern armies are mechanized or motorized aviation offers the agility and mobility required of a counterstroke force. At the operational level of war the author feels that this force should be an airmechanized division.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>