Introduction to Tactics

Strategic Studies 155 - Introduction to Tactics
Welcome to Introduction to Tactics. This course is a first-year elective course in the Strategic Studies curriculum. Its active learning content should be the equivalent of about 30 hours of classroom time, and it is organized into classes. Each class has a discreet learning objective and a way (or ways) to reach that objective. This will be complemented by readings that are prerequisites to each course. The course is presented in a logical order, and one class may be built upon in subsequent lessons. The order in which you perform these studies, however, is not important. If you feel you'd prefer a different order, that is up to you.

Course Content
The intent of this course is to give the student a rudimentary knowledge of the tactics that formulate greater strategic planning in combat.

By the end of this course, you should know:
 * How tactics affect strategy.
 * Rudimentary tactics.
 * Why tactics are important.

Online Texts

 * US Army, Field Manual 3-90, Tactics. Washington: Dept. of the Army, 2001.
 * Other links in progress

Offline Texts

 * Dawson, Doyne. The Origins of Western Warfare: Militarism and Morality in the Ancient World. Boulder: Westview Press, 1996. ISBN 0-8133-2940-X
 * Griffith, Paddy. Forward Into Battle. Fighting tactics from Waterloo to the Near Future. Novato: Presidio Press, 1991 (1981). ISBN 0891414134
 * Keegan, John. The Face of Battle. A Study of Agincourt, Waterloo, and the Somme. London: Penguin, 1978.
 * Written texts in progress:
 * FM 7-8

Classes

 * /What are tactics?/
 * /Why are tactics important?/

Classes

 * /Tactics vs. Strategy/
 * /Grand Tactics/

Classes

 * /Locational tactics/
 * /Small unit tactics/
 * /Individual tactics/

Classes

 * /Non-combat formations/
 * /Combat formations/

Classes

 * /Historical examples of tactics/
 * /Determining which tactic to choose/

FINAL
In progress.

Followup courses

 * STST 255 Infantry Tactics
 * STST 256 Cavalry Tactics
 * STST 257 Armor Tactics
 * STST 355 Combined Arms Tactics
 * STST 455 Seminar in Operational Warfare