individual mark, the tables are turned, the previous equation and conditions apply, and, even if "Reds" lose half their effective in gaining the new position, with 600 men remaining they are masters of the situation; their strength is 6002 × 1 against the "Blue" 1002 × 16. It is certainly a not altogether expected result that, in the case of fire so deadly as the modern machine-gun, circumstances may arise that render it imperative, and at all costs, to come to close range.
§ 32. Examples from History. It is at least agreed by all authorities that on the field of battle concentration is a matter of the most vital importance; in fact, it is admitted to be one of the controlling factors both in the strategy and tactics of modern warfare. It is aptly illustrated by the important results that have been obtained in some of the great battles of history by the attacking of opposing forces before concentration has been effected. A classic example is that of the defeat by Napoleon, in his Italian campaign, of the Austrians near Verona, where he dealt with the two Austrian armies in detail before they had been able to effect a junction, or even to act in concert. Again, the same principle is exemplified in the oft-quoted case of the defeat of Jourdan and Moreau on the Danube by the Archduke Charles in 1796[1]. It is evident that the conditions in the broad field of military operations correspond in kind, if not in degree, to the earlier hypothesis, and that the law deduced therefrom, that the fighting strength of a force can be represented by the square of its numerical strength, does, in its essence, represent an important truth.
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- ↑ See Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen#Napoleonic Wars (Wikisource contributor note)
