Jomini was a major general in the Napoleonic’s
army and later in the Russian
army of
Alexander I, and one of the most celebrated writers on the Napoleonic art of war. He also organized the militia of the Helvetic Republic. He published a total of 27 books on modern warfare. His most significant of works was his 1838 Précis de
l'
art de la guerre (Summary of the Art of War). According to the historian John Shy, Jomini "deserves the dubious title of founder of modern strategy.” He suggested 4 fundamental rules for when in battle: one, move one’s forces to
bear upon the enemy’s most important points and disrupt communications without placing one’s own
force in a vulnerable position; two, instead of bringing one’s own forces to
bear all the enemy’s
force, concentrate on just one part of the enemy’s force; three, determine the decisive point of the battlefield and the enemy’s force to maneuver one’s forces against it; and four, when concentrating mass upon decisive points, do so quickly and in a well timed and coordinated maneuver. One of the
key principles to Jominian thought was the idea of maintaining the initiative. If a general had control of his forces, he could force his opponent to react to his wishes achieving a strategic initiative.
"Logistics comprises the means and arrangements which
work out the plans of
strategy and tactics. Strategy decides where to
act; logistics brings the troops to this point." - Antoine Henri Jomini
