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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. According to a famous quotation described at the beginning of the book, how important are moral conditions compared to physical conditions?

2. Which country became noted as a major world power for the first time during the First World War?

3. According to the indirect method, which of the following should NOT be attacked?

4. Fabius was famous for what tactic?

5. According to the author, what nation first employed military strategy in Europe?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is the indirect method favorable over direct methods?

2. What was Cromwell's strategy as he moved to engage the Scottish?

3. Describe some of Napoleon's strategies and innovations.

4. What were the strategies of the French and Germans during the First World War?

5. Why are decisive results important in warfare?

6. What was Belisarius's general strategy?

7. What characterized the battles of William of Normandy?

8. What was the overall strategy of Fabius in his war against Hannibal?

9. Describe the effect of the locomotive on the American Civil War.

10. Explain the concept of the "center" of a country's military power. What is the importance of "dislocating" this center?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Hannibal achieved an unprecedented string of victories against Rome, beginning at the empire's furthest reaches and eventually threatening to sack the capital itself. Again and again he handed embarrassing defeats to Roman generals, and he nearly toppled the empire before it reached its height of power.

Part 1) Explain Hannibal's background and that of his homeland, Carthage.

Part 2) Describe Hannibal's overall military strategy, and the grand strategy of Carthage as a whole. Were these sets of goals aligned well, or did Hannibal experience political problems in carrying out his campaigns?

Part 3) Analyze at least one of Hannibal's battles in depth, including a discussion of the forces involved and the strategies employed by both sides.

Part 4) Discuss Hannibal's campaign in the Italian peninsula from a strategic perspective. What was his overall goal? Did he succeed in achieving decisive results? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Belisarius achieved victories where no one thought they were possible, and succeeded in reconquering huge swaths of territory for the divided Roman empire. His conquests were so great that some even called him emperor. His style was decidedly different from that of other generals discussed throughout the book, and other generals of the time.

Part 1) Summarize the military accomplishments of Belisarius, in chronological order.

Part 2) Explain how Belisarius's strategies differed from those of most other military commanders.

Part 3) Discuss Belisarius's influence on military thinking of his time, and in the centuries afterward.

Essay Topic 3

Julius Caesar was a visionary and a brilliant general. In a few short years, he transformed Rome from a republic into an empire, a move that shook the ancient world and forever changed Rome's destiny.

Part 1) Who was Julius Caesar, what was the political and military atmosphere of Rome when he grew up and when he educated, and how did he begin his career?

Part 2) Outline Caesar's style of generalship, emphasizing his use of the indirect method using examples from the book.

Part 3) Explain how Caesar maneuvered himself to become dictator for life of Rome, and how he altered the empire. How was his approach to politics similar or different from his approach to warfare?

Part 4) Explain the reasons for Caesar's assassination, and briefly discuss his legacy to Rome in particular and to military strategy as a whole.

(see the answer keys)

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