J. F. C. Fuller - Military Theories

Military Theories

Fuller is perhaps best known today for his "Nine Principles of War" which have formed the foundation of much of modern military theory since the 1930s, and which were originally derived from a convergence of Fuller's mystical and military interests. The Nine Principles went through several iterations; Fuller stated that they can

...be reduced to three groups, namely, principles of control, resistance, and pressure, and finally to one law - the law of economy of force. Thus the system evolved from six principles in 1912 rose to eight in 1915, to, virtually, nineteen in 1923, and then descended to nine in 1925, with the added advantage that these nine can be merged into three, and these three into one law.

The Nine Principles have been expressed in various ways, but Fuller's 1925 arrangement is as follows:

1. Direction
2. Offensive action
3. Surprise
4. Concentration
5. Distribution
6. Security
7. Mobility
8. Endurance
9. Determination

These Principles of War have been adopted and further refined by the military forces of several nations, most notably within NATO, and continue to be applied widely to modern strategic thinking. Recently they have also been applied to business tactics and hobby wargaming.

Fuller also developed the idea of the constant tactical factor, which states that every improvement in warfare is checked by a counter-improvement, causing the advantage to shift back and forth between the offensive and the defensive. Fuller's firsthand experience in World War I saw a shift from the defensive power of the machine gun to the offensive power of the tank.