View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. What is one of the main advantages of a small army?

2. About how many soldiers did the Italians lose in their two and a half years of fighting in the First World War?

3. What was Napoleon able to accomplish that Hitler could not?

4. In what strategic realm did Hitler fail?

5. Which nation did Russia decide to focus their efforts on first?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe some common tactical movements of the armies of World War II.

2. What causes generals to overstep the bounds of "limited aim" warfare?

3. What is a wedge attack, what is it used for and how is it countered?

4. Describe the strategies used by the Turks during the First World War.

5. Why was Ludendorff mostly unable to enact indirect strategies throughout the war?

6. What is the principle of flexibility?

7. How does the nature and purpose of strategy relate to people's unwillingness to be convinced of a point contrary to their own beliefs?

8. Explain the relationships between grand strategy, strategy and tactics.

9. According to the author, what were some motivating factors behind writing this book?

10. What was unusual about Hitler's preparations for war?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Hitler was undeniably a successful and charismatic leader. Despite his monstrous intentions, he managed to place himself in a position of preeminence over a major nation enjoyed by only a few leaders throughout history.

Part 1) Explain the conditions in Germany, including politics and the economy, during the time that Hitler was rising to power.

Part 2) How did Hitler manage to rise to such a high position within Germany? How was his political strategy similar to his later use of military strategy?

Part 3) How did Hitler gain the loyalty of his subordinates? What was unusual about his methods and writings before the beginning of the war?

Essay Topic 3

Lines of expectation play a major role throughout the book, helping to explain why various campaigns and offensives were or were not successful. These sometimes obscure or ambiguous concepts can provide a major advantage to the general who is able to best identify and utilize them.

Part 1) What is a line of expectation? How are these lines formed, maintained and identified?

Part 2) What is the importance of lines of expectation in strategy? How should a major natural line of expectation be treated? Can it be engaged directly? Can it ever be safely ignored?

Part 3) Using examples from the book, provide and explain one example each of a general correctly and incorrectly using natural lines of expectation. Explain the results in each case.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,081 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample