FEMI TAIWO ON MONDAY: Art of War by Antoine de Jomini
This book is little known outside of military circles because the popular Art of War is by Sun Tzu and de Jomini’s career was eclipsed by his more influential contemporary, General Carl von Clausewitz. Also, his writing (published in 1832) assumes a working knowledge of Napoleon’s campaigns and acquaintance with Frederick the Great’s battles. Without this informed base, it is hard to follow his reasoning because his arguments are built on the symbiosis between precepts and examples. These realities notwithstanding, it is impossible to ignore the central thesis of de Jomini’s work: superiority of numbers at the decisive points is the most general principle of victory. The aim of this article is to expand on this military maxim and examine how it can be applied to the business of life.
How do we translate superiority of numbers? Ceteris paribus, on a battlefield, the army with the higher number of soldiers and weapons wins. There are exceptions, of course, and I won’t distract you with such examples but the RULE is that superior number prevails. This is commonsense. If Team A has 11 players and Team B has 8, without any other extra information (e.g. the experience and skill level of the players and coaches, the impartiality or otherwise of the game officials, the desire to win etc.), you will put your money on Team A. This is because war, like life, is attritive in nature as opposing forces collide and cancel out leaving the group with reserves the power to dictate outcomes. The team with the inferior number is discouraged seeing their numerical disadvantage while the bigger team, smelling blood, becomes encouraged by the same token hence doubling their advantage. [It is as though you took three members from a cohort and added it to another, the new difference between them would not be three but six i.e. twice three.]
Superiority of numbers is easy to explain. The treacherous part of applying de Jomini’s maxim is in knowing the decisive points. It is not enough to have superior numbers; you must bring them to bear at the decisive points. By definition, decisive points are fate determining battlegrounds. A decisive point is a juncture where you win or lose. The winning general marshals men and machines to these points of destiny.
The application of this military principle of victory is that to win in life or in business or in politics, you must know what is important and bring your A game to these crucial events. This is a vital lesson in getting your priorities right. Your time, energy and money must be ordered such that you are able to show up with the superior idea or force at key points. What matters most must never be at the mercy of what matters least. Too many people too often expend considerable effort on minor skirmishes which leave them drained and exhausted to win the major battles. Know what matters in your life or project and do all you can to show up with superior number at these. This is as simple a rule to an overcoming life as it gets.
A big part of de Jomini’s 260 page book is devoted to how one can determine a battle’s decisive points and the best way to arrange an army to achieve maximum destruction of the enemy. He was too theoretical; and military technology has advanced past his tactics. But even at that his main point that “concentrating one’s forces at decisive points is the most comprehensive path to victory” continues to resonate 180 years after.
