How to write about epic battles

            When writing about epic battles, you need to remember that there has to be a reason one side prevails over the other, and the fact you want that side to win is not a good enough reason for the average reader.  The rules about when a battle can take place are the same as those for single combat, so a review of that post would be helpful before you lay out your battle. 

            In the real world, battles are won or lost for many reasons.  Some battles are won by technology.  Even though the Aztecs were one of the most powerful civilizations in Central America, they had no chance against the Spanish Conquistadors who possessed armor and muskets.   

            Sun Tzu wrote about the advantage to taking the high ground in his book The Art of War.  He wrote of the advantages of forcing an opponent to attack uphill.  He also described nine types of ground, and how commanders should conduct themselves when fighting on each one.  (see the next post about terrain and tactics)

            Another reason is that one side or the other either followed or failed to follow the Principles of War.  Carl von Clausewitz outlined the nine principles of modern warfare in his treatise On War.  The nine principles of warfare are: Mass, Objective, Offensive, Surprise, Economy of Force, Maneuver, Unity of Command, Security, and Simplicity.

Mass:  Concentrate combat power at the decisive place and time.  Even though he was outnumbered, Hannibal won the battle of Cannae because he concentrated his cavalry on one wing of his army.  His massed cavalry overcame the Roman cavalry on that side of their lines, and his horseman crushed the Roman cavalry on the other wing between them.

Objective: Direct every military operation towards a clearly defined, decisive, and attainable goal.  When the Germans attacked the allies in the Battle of France in World War II, their objective was to drive to the coast as quickly as possible.  By doing so, they were able to cut the allied armies into two parts and destroy them one by one.

Offensive;   Seize, retain, and exploit the initiative.  Always take the battle to your enemy, so you can decide where the battle takes place.  The German armies went on the attack in World War I, and were able to fight most of the war on enemy territory, and not on German soil.

Surprise:   Strike the enemy at a time, at a place, or in a manner for which he is unprepared.  Stonewall Jackson moved his corps through a heavily wooded area at the Battle of Chancellorsville.  Because the Union commanders believed that the wooded area provided them with a secure flank, he was able to surprise the Union 11^th Corps, and drive them before him, causing confusion among the other corps of the Union Army.

Economy of force:  Allocate minimum essential combat power to secondary efforts.  This principle goes hand in hand with the principle of mass.  If you mass troops in one location, you will have fewer troops in another location.  This force is usually called a masking force.  Their job is to hold the line while the massed troops break through the lines of the enemy force.

Maneuver:  Place the enemy in a position of disadvantage through the flexible application of          combat power.  One of the reasons that the Germans prevailed in the Battle of France in 1940 is that their armored units were operating independently from their infantry and at their top speed.  The allies had divided their tanks evenly among their infantry divisions, and drilled the tank units at slower speeds, so the infantry could keep pace with them. 

Unity of command:  For every objective, ensure unity of effort under one responsible commander. 

Security:  Never permit the enemy to acquire an unexpected advantage.  This principle boiled down, means that a commander must keep their plans, movements, and troop numbers a secret.  One of Robert E. Lee’s commanders lost their battle plans when they dropped their cigar case before the Battle Of Antietam.  The Union victory at that battle would have been more decisive had the Union commanders believed that the plans were actually real.

Simplicity:   Prepare clear, uncomplicated plans and clear, concise orders to ensure thorough         understanding.  Everyone involved in an attack must understand the part that they are to play in the attack, and must understand the goals of their immediate commander.  If plans are too complicated or not met, the whole battle may be lost.  

On War.  Clausewitz, Carl von.  Princeton NJ, Princeton University Press, 1976.