Military campaign
Encyclopedia
In the military science
s, the term military campaign applies to large scale
, long duration, significant military strategy
plan
incorporating a series of inter-related military operation
s or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war
. The term derives from the plain of Campania
, a place of annual wartime operations by the armies of the Roman Republic.
conducts combat operations in a given area (often referred to as AO, area of operation
). A military campaign may be executed by either a single Armed Service
, or as a combined services campaign conducted by land
, naval
, air
, cyber and space forces.
The purpose of a military campaign is to achieve a particular desired resolution of a military conflict as its strategic goal. This is usually within clearly-defined resource, geographic and time limited criteria. The duration of a campaign may be as short as a few weeks. However, due to the nature of campaign goals, they usually last several months, or even a year as defined by Trevor N. Dupuy
.
Many historical campaigns are so named as misnomer
s to increase or reduce the perception of operations for other than military reasons.
of the campaign's success. A campaign may end in conquest, and be followed by the transition of military authority to a civil authority and the redeployment of forces, or a permanent installation
of a military authority in the occupied area.
Military campaigns, inside and outside of defined wars, may exceed the original or even revised planning parameters of scope, time and cost. Such stalled campaigns, for example the western front
in World War I, were formerly called "stalemate
s" but in the late 20th century the metaphor
of a quagmire
was often applied. Such a situation may arise of various factors such as:
Military decorations
Lists and examples
Military science
Military science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for...
s, the term military campaign applies to large scale
Scale (spatial)
Spatial scale provides a "shorthand" form for discussing relative lengths, areas, distances and sizes. A microclimate, for instance, is one which might occur in a mountain valley or near a lakeshore, whereas a megatrend is one which involves the whole planet....
, long duration, significant military strategy
Military strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
plan
Military plan
A military operation plan is a formal plan for military armed forces, their military organizations and units to conduct operations, as drawn up by commanders within the combat operations process in achieving objectives before or during a conflict...
incorporating a series of inter-related military operation
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
s or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
. The term derives from the plain of Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, a place of annual wartime operations by the armies of the Roman Republic.
Definition
A military campaign denotes the time during which a given military forceArmed forces
The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...
conducts combat operations in a given area (often referred to as AO, area of operation
Area of operation
In U.S. military parlance, an area of operations is an operational area defined by the force commander for land, air, and naval forces conduct of combat and non-combat activities...
). A military campaign may be executed by either a single Armed Service
Armed Services
Armed Services is a collective term that refers to the major organisational entities of national armed forces, so named because they service a combat need in a specific combat environment. In most states Armed Services include the Army also known as Land Force or Ground Force, Navy also know a...
, or as a combined services campaign conducted by land
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
, naval
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
, air
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
, cyber and space forces.
The purpose of a military campaign is to achieve a particular desired resolution of a military conflict as its strategic goal. This is usually within clearly-defined resource, geographic and time limited criteria. The duration of a campaign may be as short as a few weeks. However, due to the nature of campaign goals, they usually last several months, or even a year as defined by Trevor N. Dupuy
Trevor N. Dupuy
Trevor Nevitt Dupuy was a Colonel, United States Army, retired, soldier and noted military historian.-Biography:Born in New York, the son of noted military historian, R. Ernest Dupuy, Trevor followed in his father's footsteps. Trevor Dupuy attended West Point, graduating in the class of 1938....
.
A campaign is a phase of a war involving a series of operations related in time and space and aimed towards a single, specific, strategic objective or result in the war. A campaign may include a single battle, but more often it comprises a number of battles over a protracted period of time or a considerable distance, but within a single theatre of operations or delimited area. A campaign may last only a few weeks, but usually lasts several months or even a year.
Conduct of campaigns
Like all military operations, the military campaigns are conducted as large military projects that include the phases:- Initiating – clear idea of the campaign's military, political, economic, social or environmental goalGoalA goal is an objective, or a projected computation of affairs, that a person or a system plans or intends to achieve.Goal, GOAL or G.O.A.L may also refer to:Sport...
s - Planning – where the General Staff define objectives, time, scope and cost of the campaign
- Executing – the coordination of forces and resources in logistic and combat operations
- Controlling – the monitoring of the progress of the campaign when compared to its baseline plan
- Concluding – acceptance or rejection of the campaign outcomes by the directing command structure
Many historical campaigns are so named as misnomer
Misnomer
A misnomer is a term which suggests an interpretation that is known to be untrue. Such incorrect terms sometimes derive their names because of the form, action, or origin of the subject becoming named popularly or widely referenced—long before their true natures were known.- Sources of misnomers...
s to increase or reduce the perception of operations for other than military reasons.
Campaign evaluation
The success of a military campaign is evaluated based on the degree of achievement of planned goals and objectives through combat and noncombat operations. This is determined when one of the belligerent military forces defeats the opposing military force within the constraints of the planned resource, time and cost allocations. The manner in which a force terminates its operations often influences the public perceptionPerception management
Perception management is a term originated by the US military. The US Department of Defense gives this definition:Actions to convey and/or deny selected information and indicators to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning as well as to intelligence systems...
of the campaign's success. A campaign may end in conquest, and be followed by the transition of military authority to a civil authority and the redeployment of forces, or a permanent installation
Military occupation
Military occupation occurs when the control and authority over a territory passes to a hostile army. The territory then becomes occupied territory.-Military occupation and the laws of war:...
of a military authority in the occupied area.
Military campaigns, inside and outside of defined wars, may exceed the original or even revised planning parameters of scope, time and cost. Such stalled campaigns, for example the western front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
in World War I, were formerly called "stalemate
Stalemate
Stalemate is a situation in chess where the player whose turn it is to move is not in check but has no legal moves. A stalemate ends the game in a draw. Stalemate is covered in the rules of chess....
s" but in the late 20th century the metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
of a quagmire
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
was often applied. Such a situation may arise of various factors such as:
- a small hope for victory
- poorly-defined objectives
- no clear exit strategyExit strategyAn exit strategy is a means of leaving one's current situation, either after a predetermined objective has been achieved, or as a strategy to mitigate failure. An organisation or individual without an exit strategy may be in a quagmire...
See also
General- Military operations other than warMilitary operations other than warMilitary Operations Other Than War focus on deterring war, resolving conflict, promoting peace, and supporting civil authorities in response to domestic crises. The phrase and acronym was coined by the United States military during the 1990s, but it has since fallen out of use. The UK military...
- concept that encompass the use of military capabilities across the range of military operations short of war. - Campaign deskCampaign deskA campaign desk is an antique desk of normal size which was used by officers and their staffs in rear areas during a military campaign.The campaign desk was usually the private property of the officer, as was his uniform and other military implements. It was in general handcrafted by a master...
- used by officers and their staffs in rear areas during a military campaign. - Military strategyMilitary strategyMilitary strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
- collective name for planning the conduct of warfare. - War cyclesWar cyclesThe theory of war cycles holds that wars happen in cycles.-The cycles of war:The forerunner of the study of war cycles was Edward R Dewey, with Quincy Wright's monumental A Study of War adding impetus to the discipline...
- the theory that warWarWar is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
s happen in cycles.
Military decorations
- Campaign medalCampaign medalA campaign medal is a military decoration which is awarded to a member of the military who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater...
- a military decoration which is awarded to a member of the military who serves in a designated military operation or performs duty in a geographical theater. - Campaign clasp - an attachment to a military award consisting of a metal bar which is pinned to the upper cloth portion of an award medal.
- Campaign streamerCampaign streamerCampaign streamers are decorations attached to military flags to recognize particular achievements or events of a military unit or service. Attached to the headpiece of the assigned flag, the streamer often is an inscribed ribbon with the name and date denoting participation in a particular battle,...
- a long streamer attached to the headpiece of a military flag, denoting participation of that military service in a particular campaign.
Lists and examples
- List of wars - contains military campaigns.
- List of battles - part of larger military campaigns.
- List of sieges - part of larger military campaigns.
Sources
- Dupuy, T.N., Understanding war: History and Theory of Combat, Leo Cooper, London, 1992