Military Power: Explaining Victory and Defeat in Modern Battle

This is a very valuable analytical work by one of the most insightful civilian commentators writing in the realm of contemporary military affairs. Biddle analyses the emergence from the carnage of the Western Front in 1917 of what he terms ‘the modern system’ of combined arms warfare. Most Australian officers, familiar with the Battle of Hamel and the operations of the First AIF in 1917, intuitively understand the imperative of applying Monash’s orchestration to the close battle. Biddle produces compelling statistical evidence to analyse success in battle since 1917 and concludes that the close collaboration of infantry, armour and fire support with all arms and services is indispensable to survival and victory on the modern battlefield. This is a salutary reminder that there is no technical panacea to solve the problem of the last one hundred metres, nor has precision technology eliminated close combat from war. That being the case, a thorough grasp of the modern system of combined arms fighting is a core element of professional mastery.