The Impact of Logistics on War

Lesson Objectives

•  Define "logistics”

•  Begin to understand its importance in modern war.

Logistics Case Study

The Russian Campaign of 1812

Napoleonic Empire 1812

Russian Campaign

Why did Napoleon attack Russia?

1812

Strategic Objectives

"I have come to finish off, once and for all, the Colossus of Northern Barbarism. The sword is drawn. They must be thrust back into their snow and ice, so that for a quarter of a century at least they will not be able to interfere with civilied [sic] Europe."

With Napoleon in Russia: The Memoirs of General de Caulaincourt, Duke of Vicenza (From the original memoirs as edited by Jean Hanoteau. Abridged, edited, and with an introduction by George Libaire) (1935 William Morrow & Co. New York).

Quoted in:Richard Orsinger“France During the French Revolution and Under Napoleon Bonaparte”http://www.txdirect.net/users/rrichard/napoleo1.htm

Napoleon IJune 1812

Operational Objective

Engage and destroy the Russian army just inside the border

• No intention to go on to Moscow (reported)

Chronology1812

Crossed Nieman River into RussiaJune 24

Napoleon Enters Russia

On 12th June, 1812, the forces of western Europe crossed the frontiers of Russia and war began. In other words, an event took place that was contrary to all human reason and human nature.

NarrationWar and Peace (movie, 1967)

Napoleon Enters Russia

On 12th June, 1812, the forces of western Europe crossed the frontiers of Russia and war began. In other words, an event took place that was contrary to all human reason and human nature.

NarrationWar and Peace (movie, 1967)ExcerptWar and Peace (movie, 1967)

The Russian Campaign

Konigsberg to Moscow ~ 680 miles (~ 1,100 Km)

Minard’s GraphicCharles Joseph Minard

"It may well be the best statistical graphic ever drawn.“

Edward Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 1983

The Russian Campaign

Minard’s GraphicCharles Joseph Minard

Minard’s GraphicCharles Joseph Minard

"It may well be the best statistical graphic ever drawn.“

Edward Tufte, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, 1983

Chronology1812

Crossed Nieman River into RussiaJune 24

Battle of Borodino

• Indecisive; enormous losses for both sides

September 7

Battle of Borodino

Napoleon I on the Borodino HeightsSeptember 7, 1812

Battle of BorodinoSeptember 7, 1812

Chronology1812

Crossed Nieman River into RussiaJune 24

Entered Moscow

Battle of Borodino

• Indecisive; enormous losses for both sides

September 7

September 14

Moscow

Napoleon arrived September 14, 1812 with ~100,000 men

Moscow was devoid of people and supplies

Fires of unknown origin destroyed ¾ of the city

Napoleon departed October 18th … as winter fell!

Chronology1812

Crossed Nieman River into RussiaJune 24

Entered Moscow

Battle of Borodino

• Indecisive; enormous losses for both sides

September 7

September 14

Began retreat from MoscowOctober 18

December 14 Remnants of Grand Armee left Russia

Retreat From Moscow

Napoleon’s Retreat From MoscowAdolph Northern

•

Retreat From Moscow

In 1812Illarion Pryanishnikov •

"I have no army any more! For many days I have been marching in the midst of a mob of disbanded, disorganized men, who wander all over the countryside in search of food."

Napoleon Bonaparte, 1812

The Russian Campaign

Russian Campaign

Napoleon entered Russia with > 400,000 menJune 1812

Napoleon left Russia with 20,000 to 45,000 menDecember 1812

" ... the most conspicuous logistical failure in the history of warfare."

Stanley L. Falk Introduction to Pure Logistics

What Went Wrong?

The Magnitude of the Problem

Napoleon’s Challenge

Entered Russia with over 400,000 men

150,000 “primary” horses (cavalry, artillery)

120,000 supply train horses

Feed ration per horse: 8 lbs. oats + 12 lbs. hay = 20 lbs/horse/day

Feed for 270,000 horses = 5,400,000 lbs. = 2,700 tons/day!

For one week of travel (~100 miles), fodder requirement is

19,800 tons!

… just for the horses!

Napoleon’s Challenge

Put another way:

Using this technology

Napoleon’s Challenge

Accomplish this:

Twice each week

… for 100 miles

Modern Destroyer: ~ 10,000 tons

Napoleon’s Challenge

Assuming only half the 120,000 provision horses were used to draw wagons,

At six horses per wagon,

… that would be 10,000 wagons at ~2 tons each

More

Napoleon’s Challenge

Allowing ~100 ft. per wagon, that’s about 50 wagons/mile

10,000 wagons single file would stretch 200 miles!

so …

What Went Wrong?

Plenty of food in the storehouses

Food and fodder available in the countryside

… if properly requisitioned

Transportation resources poorly managed

• Could not provide enough wagons

• Wagons available were not effectively used

First echelons plundered as they went

• Left nothing for those who followed

Returned over much the same route as ingress

This, of course, was partly due to logistics shortages.”

What Went Wrong?

“ …the Grande Armee’s problems were at all times, including the retreat from Moscow, largely due to bad discipline.

“It would, however, be unwise to attribute this solely to the problems of supply. The need to protect enormously long lines of communication and to leave garrisons behind and the effects of distance per se were also factors of major importance.”

Martin van CreveldSupplying War

The Russian Campaign

Russian Campaign

Consequences

Reinforced the importance of logistics in war

… one more time!

Europe realized that Napoleon was not invincible

What Have People Said About Logistics Over the Ages?

“Strategy and tactics provide the scheme for the conduct of military operations, logistics the means therefore.”

George ThorpePure Logistics

What Have People Said About Logistics Over the Ages?

“Strategy decides where to act;

Baron de Jomini

logistics brings the troops to this point.”

A

What Have People Said About Logistics Over the Ages?

The line between disorder and order lies in logistics…”

Sun Tzu

What Have People Said About Logistics Over the Ages?

Amateurs talkProfessionals talk logistics

Author Unknown

tactics.strategy.

Different Unknown Author

So what is Logistics?

Logistics

“… is the ‘practical art of moving armies.’”

Baron de Jomini

Logistics

The art and science of managing and controlling the flow of goods, energy and information

• production and procurement (strategic)

• transportation (operational)

• distribution (tactical)

• maintenance (all)

The Logistician  

Logisticians are a sad and embittered race of men who are very much in demand in war, and who sink resentfully into obscurity in peace. They deal only in facts, but must work for men who merchant in theories. They emerge during war because war is very much a fact. They disappear in peace because peace is mostly theory. The people who merchant in theories, and who employ logisticians in war and ignore them in peace, are generals. Generals are a happily blessed race who radiate confidence and power. They feed only on ambrosia and drink only nectar. In peace, they stride confidently and can invade a world simply by sweeping their hands grandly over a map, pointing their fingers decisively up terrain corridors, and blocking defiles and obstacles with the sides of their hands. In war, they must stride more slowly because each general has a logistician riding on his back and he knows that, at any moment, the logistician may lean forward and whisper: "No, you can't do that." Generals fear logisticians in war and in peace, generals try to forget logisticians. Romping along beside generals are strategists and tacticians. Logisticians despise strategists and tacticians. Strategists and tacticians do not know about logisticians until they grow to become generals -- which they usually do. Sometimes a logistician becomes a general. If he does, he must associate with generals whom he hates; he has a retinue of strategists and tacticians whom he despises; and, on his back, is a logistician whom he fears. This is why logisticians who become generals always have ulcers and cannot eat their ambrosia.

Generals are a happily blessed race who radiate confidence and power. They feed only on ambrosia and drink only nectar. In peace, they stride confidently and can invade a world simply by sweeping their hands grandly over a map, pointing their fingers decisively up terrain corridors, and blocking defiles and obstacles with the sides of their hands. In war, they must stride more slowly because each general has a logistician riding on his back and he knows that, at any moment, the logistician may lean forward and whisper: "No, you can't do that." Generals fear logisticians in war, and in peace generals try to forget logisticians.

Author Unknownhttp://logistics.about.com/library/bllogistician.htm

 

Author Unknownhttp://logistics.about.com/library/bllogistician.htm

 

Generals are a happily blessed race who radiate confidence and power. They feed only on ambrosia and drink only nectar. In peace, they stride confidently and can invade a world simply by sweeping their hands grandly over a map, pointing their fingers decisively up terrain corridors, and blocking defiles and obstacles with the sides of their hands. In war, they must stride more slowly because each general has a logistician riding on his back and he knows that, at any moment, the logistician may lean forward and whisper: "No, you can't do that." Generals fear logisticians in war, and in peace generals try to forget logisticians.

Author Unknownhttp://logistics.about.com/library/bllogistician.htm

 

Generals are a happily blessed race who radiate confidence and power. They feed only on ambrosia and drink only nectar. In peace, they stride confidently and can invade a world simply by sweeping their hands grandly over a map, pointing their fingers decisively up terrain corridors, and blocking defiles and obstacles with the sides of their hands. In war, they must stride more slowly because each general has a logistician riding on his back and he knows that, at any moment, the logistician may lean forward and whisper: "No, you can't do that." Generals fear logisticians in war, and in peace generals try to forget logisticians.

Author Unknownhttp://logistics.about.com/library/bllogistician.htm

 

Generals are a happily blessed race who radiate confidence and power. They feed only on ambrosia and drink only nectar. In peace, they stride confidently and can invade a world simply by sweeping their hands grandly over a map, pointing their fingers decisively up terrain corridors, and blocking defiles and obstacles with the sides of their hands. In war, they must stride more slowly because each general has a logistician riding on his back and he knows that, at any moment, the logistician may lean forward and whisper: "No, you can't do that." Generals fear logisticians in war, and in peace generals try to forget logisticians.

Definitions

Strategy

“Matching ends to means”

A plan to match resources to objectives

[basic definition]

(review)

A

Definitions

Strategy

A plan to match resources to objectives

Logistics

Process of putting resources to work to achieve objectives

End

Return