Praxis Tacticum: The Art, Science and Practice of Military Tactics

342 Pages·2021·8.375 MB·English

by  Charles Oliviero

P R AXIS TAC T IC U M
The Art, Science and Practice of Military Tactics
Colonel Charles S. Oliviero
Double Dagger Books
Copyright © 2021 Charles S. Oliviero
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of
the publisher.
ISBN: 978-1-7773121-6-9 (e-book)
Cover design: Pablo Javier Herrera
PRAISE FOR PRAXIS TACTICUM

The subject of tactics is at first glance confined to relatively few
readers, usually texts for soldiers. Chuck Oliviero has placed this
specialized subject into its much larger context and made a readable
and useful book. Not all writers have the background to pull it off, but
he has gone beyond his personal experience as a tank regimental
commander to place the topic in its much wider historical context,
informed by his fluency in several languages that has given him
access to other cultures, his more formal education in several Staff
Colleges and a doctorate in War Studies. It is a personal and
effective distillation of the author’s four decades of professional
experience informed by his sound grounding in theoretical, historical
and intellectual readings.
—Professor Bill McAndrew, PhD
Colonel (ret.) Oliviero gets right to it in this book. With insightful
perspective, he explores the very framework and substance of
tactical operations and execution. Through discussion and careful
examination of a series of tactical situations and exercises, he gets
beyond the science of tactics to the very art of it. This is a tactical
WORKbook, not a tactical TEXTbook. It helps develop junior leaders
into astute tacticians, equipping them with the necessary skills and
tools to lead, develop others, and achieve on the battlefield.”
—Norman M. Wade, Author and Publisher, The Lightning Press
SMARTbooks
I have found that the military leaders most to be admired share three
key attributes. They are of great character and virtue. The are
motivated to serve and advance the the well-being of others - putting
their people, teams and missions before self. And they are good at
what they do - vocationally and professionally competent -
continuously pursuing improvement and to grow in their trade craft.
Chuck is indeed one of these leaders. His work here touches on all 3
of these attributes, and dives deep into the pursuit of competence,
indeed excellence, in our core trade craft - winning in battle. Tactics
in land warfare is a core competency for those who lead, serve, and
enable land operations - from section 2iC to formation command and
beyond. Here he makes it immensely understandable and available to
leaders at every rank. He does so by keeping it simple, for as his
staff college instructor once told him: “Life is already complex, we do
not need to make it more so.”
—Lieutenant-General (ret’d) Stuart A. Beare, CMM, MSC, MSM, CD
Colonel Doctor (ret’d) Chuck Oliviero is one of the Canadian Army’s
most educated and thoughtful combat arms commanders, whose
passion for the profession of arms is matched only by his energy and
enthusiasm to help the next generation of warfighters prepare for the
battlefields of tomorrow. “Praxis Tacticum” will help young leaders
learn and master modern combat team tactics, based on impeccable
historical research of both the German Army in two world wars, and
the Canadian Army from the same period and up to lessons learnt in
Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. It’s a fascinating series of
intellectual and practical exercises which will help those leading fast
moving and hard-hitting troops in combat, a unique blend of both
science and art of war.
—Lieutenant-General (ret’d) The Hon. Andrew Leslie, PC, CMM, MSC,
MSM, CD, MA, PhD
Colonel (retired) Chuck Oliviero is one of the very few Canadian
officers who writes about tactics. His experience as an armoured
officer combined with is academic credentials makes Chuck one of a
small group of experts on tactics. He brings the discussion on tactics
to the ‘centre of gravity’ between operational and theoretical
perspectives. Praxis Tacticum is for professionals, people interested
in tactics and the general reader of history.
—Major-General (ret’d) David Fraser, CMM, MSC, MSM, CD
A timely book that condenses the writings of history’s great war
theorists and strategists into a useful and practical handbook for
today’s students and practitioners of war. Certainly, a needed
addition to any serious military student’s library.
—Colonel (ret’d) Larry Saul, United States Army
Colonel (ret'd) Chuck Oliviero has produced a tactical primer useful
for junior leaders serving in western militaries. He has masterfully
translated doctrinal material into valuable lessons for young military
leaders using his personal experience and historical examples.
Recognizing the exceptional talent and example of junior leaders,
Chuck has produced a primer that both educates and stimulates the
reader to a better appreciation of the profession of arms!
—Colonel (ret’d) Kevin M. Batule, United States Army
Colonel (Retired) Chuck Oliviero, CD, PhD has put together a masterful
compendium that ably delivers philosophical and practical approaches to war
at the tactical level. Praxis Tacticum, or Tactical Practice, is an
indispensable professional reference which distills years of Canadian military
experience and academic research concerning the profession of arms into a
single extremely readable volume. This book is indispensable to
understanding the “why” and “how” of land tactics in a constantly evolving
security environment. Junior leaders who wish to master their military
vocation will be well served to study this work and apply the conflict
perspectives supplied within in it to the missions that they will be ordered to
prepare for and carry out in the twenty-first century.
— Dr. Howard G. Coombs, OMM, CD, Associate Professor,
Royal Military College of Canada
Regi Patriaeque Fidelis
The author would like to thank the Commanding Officer and
gratefully acknowledges the use of selected sketches and artwork
from the collection of his old regiment, The 8th Canadian Hussars
(Princess Louise’s), Canada’s oldest continuously serving cavalry
regiment. 173 years of loyal service to Crown and Country.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to the many Senior Non-Commissioned
Officers of the 8th Canadian Hussars who took an arrogant young
Subaltern and with much skill and patience, turned him into a
passable Armoured Cavalry Officer. I am in their debt.
CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright
Praise for Praxis Tacticum
Dedication
Dedication
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Part I: The Enigmatic Nature of War
Part II: Thoughts and Explanations
Part III: Problems & Exercises
Tactical Problem 1: Combat Power (Grouping)
Tactical Problem 2: Variation at the Company/Squadron Level
Tactical Problem 3: Combat Power (Grouping)
Tactical Problem 4: Mission Analysis I (Auftragstaktik)
Tactical Problem 5: Mission Analysis II (Auftragstaktik)
Tactical Problem 6: Main Effort I (Schwerpunkt)
Tactical Problem 7: Main Effort II (Schwerpunkt)
Tactical Problem 8: Dislocation
Tactical Problem 9: Mission Analysis (Selection of the Mission)
Tactical Problem 10: Embracing Chaos
Tactical Problem 11: Agility
Tactical Problem 12: Passage of Lines
Tactical Thought Experiment: Der Balkon
Practical Exercise 1: Battlespace Checkers
Practical Exercise 2: Battlespace Chess
Practical Exercise 3: Tank Quick Attack
Practical Exercise 4: Resupply
Practical Exercise 5: Shock Action
Practical Exercise 6: Shared Experience
The Future
Part IV: Personal Thoughts and Reference Material
Annex A: Myths and Facts about War and Warfare
Annex B: Intent
Annex C: Mission Analysis (Auswertung des Auftrages)
Annex D: Occam’s Razor and Parsing a Mission Statement
Annex E: Decision/Action Cycle
Annex F: Trust
Annex G: Auftragstaktik Reading List
Annex H: Suggested Professional Development Readings
Annex I: Lessons of History
Annex J: Training Design
Annex K: Training in Simulation
Annex L: Thoughts on Command Relationships
Annex M: How to Study On War
Annex N: Leader Self-Care
Annex O: Cosmos, Chaos and Combat Power
Annex P: After Action Review (AAR)
Annex Q: Fighting a Smarter Enemy
Part V: Suggested Solutions to the Tactical Problems
Solution to Tactical Problem 1: Combat Power (Grouping)