George Washington's Tactics

[DesertFox]

I was watching the 1938 Robin Hood Movie and thinking about how Robin Hood's basic tactic of keeping his "army" alive is similar to George Washington's tactics.

 

Is there a history of that type of tactic prior to the American Revolution?

[Guest aevans]

I was watching the 1938 Robin Hood Movie and thinking about how Robin Hood's basic tactic of keeping his "army" alive is similar to George Washington's tactics.

 

Is there a history of that type of tactic prior to the American Revolution?

 

First of all, it's not a tactic, it's a strategy.

 

Second, google "Fabius Maximus".

[DesertFox]

First of all, it's not a tactic, it's a strategy.

 

Second, google "Fabius Maximus".

 

Thanks, on both accounts

 

Tactics, Strategy, and Logistics.....

[Redbeard]

17th-18th century European warfare very much was manoeuvring your armies (and placing your fortifications) to get into an advantageous position without risking your (expensive and professional) army in an all-or-nothing battle. Only with drafted armies from late 18th century making manpower less expensive and available in large numbers did "preservation of the army" become less prominent. The Habsburgs had the preservation strategy stay prominent for longer though, as in the end the army was what kept that Empire together.

 

Regards

 

Steffen Redbeard

[DesertFox]

That raises the question, did George Washington use the strategy the British expected him to?

[Guest aevans]

That raises the question, did George Washington use the strategy the British expected him to?

 

I think they expected him to fight it out in the beginning. After that, I think they pretty much expected him to do what he did.

[Brasidas]

I bet he expected a Saratoga to happen eventually.

[KingSargent]

I bet he expected a Saratoga to happen eventually.

That's what they organized and trained to achieve, proficiency in standard standup in line and duke it out tactics. The Continentals were a pretty competent European-style army by 1780. Of course they were a minority in terms of American manpower. IIRC, ca.16,582 Continentals served throughout the entire war. Where that figure came from I have no idea, maybe from pension rolls, which would ignore the dead.

[Guest aevans]

Well, that's kind of the whole point for a Fabian strategy -- keep the army in the field and wait for opportunities to turn up.