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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat effectiveness | 3/5 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_effectiveness | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T14:30:00.300484+00:00 | kb-cron |
==== Ancient tactics ==== The Romans used conquered land to expand their military force up to 40,000 men by the First Punic War and distinct military formation to gain an advantage over opposing armies. This formation consisted of heavy and light infantry situated in the front and rear lines, each unit separated by a gap that was covered by the line before them, and the front lines took the brunt of the attack. The rear line was only called to assist if their preceding ones failed. The front lines could use the open order formation to retreat behind the rear and allow them to take charge. In ancient China, the country's geographical landscape influenced the ways armies fought battles. Rivers and mountain ranges that divided the land could be used to defend cities or towns. The terrain of valleys allowed ambushing soldiers at great heights to roll enormous stones onto armies passing below. During the Western Zhou dynasty, war chariots were used in conflicts with up to 500 allocated to an army. Chariot warfare was superseded by a focus on military strategy in the Warring States era. Such strategies involved deception and trickery in the midst or confusion of battle.
==== Modern tactics ==== During World War I, British tactics consisted of concise objectives, large quantities of artillery and tools which involved the introduction of gas, trench mortars and wireless signals for communication. In the 9th (Scottish) Division during the Battle of Loos, there were four battalions that were separated into three sections, one in front of the other, and each battalion had another behind it in the same formation. The standard layout of the lines consisted of at least six men and the formation was adopted in most battles of the war such as the Battle of the Somme. Trench raiding was developed in World War I where surprise attacks were made on the enemy, usually at night for the purposes of stealth. Soldiers were equipped for light and stealthy manoeuvre through the trenches and were commonly equipped with bayonets, trench knives, homemade clubs and brass knuckles. The main intention of the raids was to eliminate enemies as silently as possible until the enemy trench was secured. Stephen Biddle argues that states that master and use the "modern system" of force employment have greater battlefield performance. The modern system of force employment entails interrelated techniques at the tactical level (cover and concealment, dispersion and small-unit independent maneuvers, suppression, and integration of weapon types), and at the operational level (depth, reserves and differential concentration). Biddle rejects that merely possessing superior military capabilities confers a battlefield advantage, arguing that combat effectiveness is in large part due to non-material variables, such as the tactics deployed. Research has found that barrier troops can prevent some soldiers from fleeing the battlefield, but comes with substantial adverse effects (such as higher casualties and reduced initiative) that make it bad for combat effectiveness on the whole. According to Jason Lyall, barrier troops are more likely to be used by the militaries of states that discriminate against the ethnic groups that comprise the state's military.
== Leadership == Effective leaders reinforce the chain of command and are required to possess the fast decision-making skills necessary especially in high pressure environments both on the battlefield and in training. Effective military leadership requires leaders to maintain considerations such as the material welfare of their troops and they are expected to overcome obstacles and utilise their strengths. A member of the Holy Roman Imperial Forces, Gerat Barry, states in a 1634 military manual that some attributes of a commander include extensive military experience, courage, skill, authority and empathy. During World War I, German intelligence noted the difference between two British platoons in a German raid on the Royal Irish Rifles in 1916 wherein one platoon performed better than the other. The better platoon was led by British officer Lieutenant Hill who inspired his troops to continue fighting while the other platoon which had less leadership surrendered. In 1914, a medical officer named William Tyrrell noted that many soldiers experienced mental breakdowns after their officer experienced one. In World War II, General George C. Marshall prepared the U.S. Army for modern war by managing the organisational aspect of the Army including improving the Army's relations with their affiliates and improving its organisational efficiency. During the English Civil War in 1642, military leaders such as Cromwell, Fairfax and Lambert held moral authority over their troops who had confidence in their leadership and were highly motivated and prepared for battle. By 1648, the New Model Army had high combat effectiveness and military expertise. A 2025 study by Jason Lyall and Yuri Zhukov found that violence and intimidation of one's own troops to force reluctant soldiers to fight was likely to harm combat effectiveness.
== Logistics and firepower ==