Learning from the Past

MIDN 3/C Ionatan A. Soule, USN

When joining the military one must be fully aware of what they are getting themselves into. While we, the military of the United States of America, may not currently be engaged in an all-out war, we are still engaged in many armed conflicts around the globe. Things may be relatively peaceful now, but there is no guarantee that they will remain as such or that one will not have to partake in some sort of combative role. Put simply, there is still a very large chance that one will be put into harm’s way and be required to make the decision of whether or not to take the life of another human being. As a future officer in the Navy, I will be directly responsible for both the wellbeing of my people and the decision of whether or not it is morally right and just to eliminate a target…I will be responsible for the way in which we conduct war. Sun Tzu’s The Art of War is a masterpiece on military tactics written during the Zhou Dynasty of the Warring States period in China around 750-450 BCE. Though dated, this book contains very important insights on strategy that, with a little modification, are still applicable to today’s modern warfare landscape.

The period itself, the Warring States period, was a period of conflict and change—change of borders, rulers, culture, etc… During this conflict, armies devised new military methods and strategies. By studying this period and the Art of War, I will be better prepared to lead in the future. I believe that one of the most important lines in the Art of War is, “Ultimate excellence lies not in winning every battle, but in defeating the enemy without ever fighting” (Art of War). This quote speaks directly to the truth that war is worse than hell. As an officer, one must not be too willing to charge headfirst into battle. Actual combat must be reserved as an action of last resort when all other diplomatic means have been utterly exhausted. It is important to keep this mentality at the forefront of one’s mind when making military decisions.

Another key insight of Master Sun is the following: “A ruler can bring misfortune upon his troops in three ways: [1] to advance or retreat when they should not, […2] ignorant interference in military decisions, […and 3] ignorant meddling in military appointments” (Art of War). What I glean from this advice is the following: knowledge is power. In each of the three instances the ruler, in our case officer, is making a poor decision because they are ignorant of the truth. In the first, the officer is not up to date on the situation on the ground, sea, or air and makes a poor judgment call that could have been easily avoided had they put time into understanding the situation better. The second is not taking the time to fully understand and analyze what has been decided before interfering with it, an action that could cause chaos and confusion. The third is encouraging anything but a merit-based system of advancement. Those in power should not be there because you like them, they should be there because they have proven time and time again that they are the most qualified for the job, because they have proven to have the necessary experience, insight, and most importantly, knowledge to perform the job well. As an officer, one’s first task should then be to learn—listen and learn as much as you can and this can be achieved through many different means.

One such means is by studying the past. Though Sun Tzu may have lived in a different era, there can be no question that he was a great military leader and strategist. He took the time to compile what he had learned so that we, the future officers of the navy, could learn from him without committing the same mistakes he did.

Word count: 658

History in the Fleet

Ever since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, America has constantly been involved in counter terrorism operations in the Middle east. The terrorism that we face is driven by radical Muslim religious groups, claiming all their actions are justified in the name of Jihad, or the struggle. The Middle East is no stranger to war– people have been fighting in the name of Jihad since the creation of Islam, and for the holy land even before that. There are many obvious differences between the goals of the Crusades and the goals of modern american anti terrorism operations, but at a fundamental level they are very similar.

The First and Second Crusades were launched as a result of a cry of help from a captured city. First it was Constantinople, then it was Edessa. In modern day, the U.S. involvement in Syria can be partially credited to the need for help from the people in the occupied lands. Radical Muslims under the names of different terrorist organizations capture cities and towns, using their resources and often mistreating those who live there. This fact is supported by the extremely high numbers of refugees leaving Syria in the past few years. This is much like in the Crusades, when the Catholic cities of Constantinople and Edessa were captured and occupied. In order to help describe the capture of Edessa, A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea BOOK XVI refers to a passage from the Psalms: “They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.” (Psalms 94:6) The people of Edessa were mistreated, killed and their rights taken away. In both Crusades, the goal was to liberate Christian lands and the Christians living on them. In modern day, America is involved in the middle east to promote democracy and freedom from radical terrorist groups. Crusades and Anti Terrorism both have the end goal of liberating a people while promoting a belief of the liberating force. In the Crusades it was Christianity, in modern day it is democracy.

Another key similarity, is that both are highlighted by a religious difference. Christendom vs. Jihad, and Freedom of Religion vs. Radical interpretations of Islam and Jihad. It is true that the Crusades were more religiously based compared to anti terrorism, but nevertheless the religious difference is present in both conflicts, and is at least somewhat responsible for the fighting.

Both conflicts also had secondary goals relating to wealth and money. The Crusades were a great opportunity for European states to expand trade, capture new cities and make more money in general, despite the intentions of the Church. Likewise, the Middle East is the leading exporter of oil, and the U.S. wants to make sure that the Middle East remains stable so that the oil market isn’t greatly affected and oil wealth does not fall into the wrong hands.

It is clear that the Crusades and American anti terrorism are not the same, as almost nothing is from two time periods so far apart. However, the parallels between the two are evident, as both are a fight for liberation, both have religious motivation, and both have monetary goals.

525 Words

It Starts With Knowing Your People

I believe that although everything we have learned this semester can be applied to our life and our future life as United States Naval officers, there was one topic and lesson in particular that could be extremely beneficial to leading men and women one day. This was Sun Tzu’s Art of War. Sun Tzu’s Art of War is an ancient military treatise from around 771 to 476 BC. The book is composed of thirteen chapters, each chapter being devoted to an aspect of military warfare and how to apply those aspects. In chapter five, it talks about energy and how to maintain and encourage the motivation of those fighting under you. Sun Tzu said, “The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers.” I believe that some people when they graduate the academy will be overwhelmed with their role as a leader and having to lead tens or hundreds of men and women. While that is most understandably overwhelming, it will be most important to just slow down, reflect, and set out a plan for your sailors. When I become and officer, I will make sure those under me are organized and ensure that they all have specific roles and know their roles. I cannot look at fifty men and women and try to lead them all as individuals. I need to look at them as five groups of ten or however I divide them and lead each group to make sure we are all successful. Another thing that Sun Tzu talked about was blending and harmonizing his forces and the different elements before pitching his camp. When I read this, it builds off what I just talked about. Organizing your troops is one things but if you take time to get to know your sailors and find their strengths and weaknesses, it will exponentially improve the rate of success that everyone receives. I am going to make sure that when I am an officer, I get to know all my subordinates and find out everything I can about them in order to strive in the field of work and also in battle if I ever go to war. Team chemistry is vital to the success of a leader and those he leads and I believe it is the most important thing a group or organization can have. Sun Tzu’s Art of War talks about many other aspects of war but I believe that before you can go to war, it starts with the relationships you form with those around you and so that is why I picked these two points out. My goal for when I become a leader is to be respected by those under me but at the same time have a professional and friendly relationship with them where they can feel comfortable at any time to come and talk to me.

Kody Crider

Billy Honaker: History in the Fleet

As a leader it is imperative to take lessons from any and every possible source. Over the course of the semester we have studied many different civilizations, and through those studies we have focused on each civilization’s successes and failures. As these studies went on we were often asked to interpret these civilization’s actions as if we were living back then, but the proposed question about how knowledge learned in this course will impact me as an officer requires me to take a look at things through my morals and ethics. With that being said it is Hammurabi and his law code that I feel I took the most from in this course, because of the harshness of the punishments, but the success of his civilization, as well.

Hammurabi wrote one of the earliest known law codes for his civilization who dwelled in ancient Mesopotamia, and this law code is known for its harshness, but it differs for each class. Laws such as “If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out,” is one example of the harshness, and has also created the popular line known today as “an eye for an eye.” The law code often references laws for slaves or lesser people, where the masters or more privileged are able to punish the lesser people, for example “If a slave say to his master: ‘You are not my master,’ if they convict him his master shall cut off his ear,” just shows the brutality associated with this law code. The point I took from all of this is that as a leader my job will to be o correct or punish my subordinates, but they are human just as I am, and everyone makes mistakes. Hammurabi obviously lived in a completely different time, and his law codes would be unethical in today’s world. As for me, I will be looked to for fairness and good judgment, so I will be required to take the mistakes of my subordinates and think of a fair way to prevent them from making the same mistake twice.

Regardless of how unethical his tactics were, he saw much success. Hammurabi led the civilization for over 40 years with this law code. As a naval officer in today’s Navy, this is not possible. The sailors and marines would not take this kind of constant punishment or fear from a leader, and would not perform well. In a work environment this leadership tactic based around fear would lead to poor work, and possibly worst case scenarios. As a student and officer in training, it is my responsibility to recognize this and place myself in situations where I can think “what would I do?”

Regardless of how long it feels like we have left here; in reality it’s not that long. Soon we will be commissioned officers in the world’s strongest military, and be expected to lead from day one. That is the reason it is so important to capture everything being taught to us, and to look deep into everything to find any potential lesson waiting to be taught.

Word Count: 521

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp

Division Between Citizens in Ancient Rome and Modern America

Today, Americans are constantly posed with the question: whose side are you on? The growth of tribalism, or the behaviors and loyalties that stem from one’s social group, is on the constant rise in America. Political ideology is one of the many ways that people show their support for their beliefs and ideas. This loyalty creates division between the American people, and is one of the biggest conflicts that we face in America today. Similarly, the Ancient Roman Empire under Constantine faced a similar division between their people- either to convert to Christianity or to continue worshiping their own pagan gods. Christianity was eventually adopted as the official religion under Theodosius which united the entire Roman Empire under one religion. Before Christianity was united, the citizens were conflicted between keeping their pagan traditions and converting to Christianity. Religion and political parties are some of the ways that people feel that they belong to something bigger than themselves. Although we are unsure how the continuing conflict of tribalism in America will end, a similar conflict occurred in the Ancient Roman Empire that eventually led to its fall.

The beginnings of political tribalism in America started over 20 years ago over the Democratic and Republicans stances on issues such as taxes and military spending (Kornacki). Many political issues today are black and white. Meaning, if one political party supports one idea, the other political party supports the opposite of that idea. This can be seen in issues such as abortion, marijuana legalization, and healthcare. The truth is that these issues can have a lot more different opinions, which is one of the many reasons that makes living in a two-party system difficult. Because of these polarized opinions, legislation is becoming difficult to pass through congress. A great example of this is when earlier this year, congress had difficulty passing a budget. The result was that much of the government was shut down, including civilian teachers at the Naval Academy. It is human nature to belong to a group that shares their opinion. The Economist stated last May that, “The problem (in America) is structural: the root of tribalism is human nature, and the current state of American democracy is distinctly primeval. People have an urge to belong to exclusive groups and to affirm their membership by beating other groups” (Savage). Through polarization of ideas, a large amount of people can feel like their ideas relate to a political party.

Before the rise of Christianity in Rome, the Roman Empire demanded that people’s loyalty was to the state alone. The Roman people were expected to practice the state polytheistic pagan religion with many state-sponsored festivals throughout the year. Christians were not able to participate in these festivals because they were only interested in worshiping one god. The lack of participation by the Christians at these festivals added to the segregation of faiths in the Roman culture, and eventually led to the fear and misunderstanding of Christianity itself. Also, many Christians were forced to worship in solitude during the night because it was outlawed by the Roman state. Many people feared Christianity because it seemed very mysterious to them and they did not understand it. Much later during the early rule of Theodosius in Ancient Rome, he banned pagan sacrifice. Shortly after, many pagan statues were destroyed and replaced with Christian churches. In 391, Theodosius made a decree to punish any one accused of witchcraft. Pagan members of the Senate in Rome pleaded that Theodosius would allow pagan worship again, however this was not successful. The conflict between Christians and Pagans created a division in the Roman people. Religion in Rome was one of the reasons why the Empire eventually fell.

WC: 617

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/11/14/tribalism-doesnt-explain-our-political-conflicts/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.dbcf91133ac5

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/15/books/review/steve-kornacki-the-red-and-the-blue.html

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Theodosius_I#Support_for_Christianity

Cracraft, Benjamin Blog #3.

History in the Fleet

Dean Caravela

History in the Fleet

To this day, the Roman Catholic Church is one of the most powerful churches in the world. Christianity is also the most practiced religion in the world today. This was not always the case however. In ancient Rome, the idea of Christianity was at first very scary and thought down upon. It was a religion in which the Romans wished to run out of their city and for their people not practice. As written in the Voyages textbook, “In addition to ordering that Christian scriptures be destroyed and churches torn down, he called for the punishment of practicing Christians,” (Voyages 150). At the time, new ideas that went against current values that were known and successful posed as a big threat to civilization. The Roman people were not very accepting of these foreign values at first as a result. As time went on however, Christianity proved to be a religion that was not a threat. More and more people began to worship the faith and eventually it became one of the most widely celebrated religions in the area. The Roman Catholic Church eventually formed, and Christianity in the west became a very highly regarded and popular religion. The eventual acceptance of these foreign values shows why it is important to be open to new ideas and ways of life. In the fleet as an officer in the Navy or Marine Corps, one will be in charge of many different people. All of these people will be from different places, most likely of different ethnicity, and possess different upbringings. As a result, these people will have their set of values that may or may not different from that of my own. Understanding and accepting these values will be an important component in leading towards success as a unit. If I were to dismiss these values at first should they differ from the values I am accustomed to and have brought me personal success, like the Romans did at first with the Christians, I will not be held at a high regard as a leader. My subordinates will not trust my decisions or believe I have their best interest. If I were to dismiss one’s way of life, then the overall relationship I have with that person will tarnished. This also applies to the other officers I will be working with. If they view me as one who is closed minded and hard to communicate with, then among these other leaders I will have a bad reputation. As an officer in the military, a positive reputation among colleagues is very important. Thus, learning from the quick dismissive judgement of the Romans towards the Christians is useful to me as an officer in the fleet.

Sources: Voyages textbook: The Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity (150)

Word Count: 472

History in the Fleet

Typically, when we want to discuss examples of poor and excellent examples of leadership, we reach for examples in our own lives. The upper-class in our companies that we do not want to be like, the coaches who inspire us, it is not hard to find leadership styles to emulate in our own lives. However, history offers us leaders who built the greatest of empires—as well as leaders who have been responsible for the downfall of empires. As future military officers, studying past civilizations will offer us the opportunity to learn from them, and the leaders responsible for the creation, and downfalls of these civilizations.
One civilization that comes to my mind as applicable for future military officers is the Chinese Empire that lasted for over two thousand years. What made the first dynasty in this empire—the Qin dynasty so special was that it united so many different types of people under one person’s rule. As an officer, we will be expected to lead, and be led by many different types of people who are all coming from different backgrounds, and will all have their own different expectations for a leader. It’s up to us to determine the best way to unite these different people, so that they work together as one unit. One other takeaway from the beginnings of the Chinese Empire, is that the Emperor purposefully distanced himself from his people, and that the Qin dynasty ended with a series of peasant revolts. As future military officers, we can look to this as an example that emphasizes the importance of being active in the lives of those that we lead. Knowing what is going on in their lives can help us to understand what they may need, and it helps us to understand their motivations. Under the Qin Dynasty in 359 B.C.E., officials introduced the idea of meritocracy where soldiers could rise up in rank and stature which strengthened their military immensely. The idea of wanting to inspire a reason for those whom you lead to want to improve is definitely something that can be learned from (although you do not want to bribe nor coerce people into doing their job).
Another application from the Chinese Empire that we can take away as future leaders in the military is some of the principle schools of thought that emerged during this time. We can definitely apply principles from Confucianism, and Daoism into our leadership styles (the emphasis of tradition in Confucianism is something that we can definitely see parallels in with the military). However, if there is just one text that we use to learn from the Chinese Empire, it should be Sun Tzu’s Art of War. Sun Tzu wrote that “When one treats people with benevolence, justice and righteousness, and reposes confidence in them, the army will be united in mind and all will be happy to serve their leaders.” As a leader, that is the type of treatment that you should wish to instill upon those that you lead, and uniting those whom you lead so that they are happy to serve you should be your end goal. This is a stark comparison from the distant Emperor at the beginning of the Chinese Empire who aimed to seem above and removed from his people, showing how leadership styles can change over time. Sun Tzu’s principles are ones that we too can use to develop our own leadership styles as future officers in the military.

Blog Post #6 Topic #1

The Sun Tzu attack theory, the Russian and Chinese hybrid strategy

Looking at ancient China, I think a future officer can draw key takeaways from Sun Tzu and his rule of the Zhou Dynasty. Sun Tzu is known as being one of the most respected and well-rounded military generals of all time. He led with strength, professionalism, and honor. Many of his lessons are expressed in his publication Art of War and are useful to any leader, in fact, Tzu’s writings can be specifically beneficial to military officers in ways that are still relevant thousands of years later. It was such a powerful piece and was reflected in his dominant rule of China during his time as ruler. The one specific lesson of the many that I think is most important to officers in the fleet is professionalism.

As young adults in a more or less college setting, we are faced with a quick transition upon graduation. This shock of going from contained, small scale responsibility escalates to real life challenges and leadership in a matter of months. The ability to establish and maintain a professional manner in front of your sailors and marines is absolutely vital to the success of a unit. Sun Tzu’s Art of War offers a young junior officer important words and lessons on professionalism that can be directly translated into fleet scenarios. “Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.” A quote from Tzu, shows the importance of treating your subordinates with care. Being firm when you need to, but also being understanding and someone they can trust are all things that encompass the father like figure, Tzu portrayed to his men. Sailors and marines who respect and trust their leader will do anything to complete the mission. These same ideas apply today and officers who grasp them will ultimately be better for it.

Another quote on professionalism that illustrates this idea is “Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate”. It speaks volumes to the idea of preparation and upholding the standard. Tzu believed that being the more prepared force was ultimately decided battles. In modern context, always being ready for conflict to arise is achievable through an officers professionalism and commitment to upholding the standard.

There are many pieces of knowledge expressed in Tzu’s Art of War but none are more relevant in the modern day conflict than professionalism. Being able to rally your people around a common goal or mission in a way that upholds the standard of excellence is what will make our Navy and Marine Corps the best fighting forces for years to come. (473)

Contemporary Warriors

Michelle Therianos

At the beginning of Plebe Summer, every Midshipmen is issued The Warrior Ethos by Steven Pressfield. This piece of literature fundamentally outlines the nature of the warrior code and its rules. The very first chapter, of course, begins in Ancient Greece with the Spartan warriors. Studying a society characterized by patriotism and toughness is where a Midshipman’s development begins, and rightfully so.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Spartan civilization is their fascination with being warriors. In Sparta, there was only one occupation: soldier. Indoctrination into this lifestyle began as early as seven years old, when they left home to live in communal barracks and train extensively. They lived meagerly and in austere conditions, building mental and physical strength through sports competitions, team-building exercises, and tests of survival. By 20 years old, a Spartan boy was officially a solider, and would remain active duty until 60. These warriors were skilled in Ancient Greek fighting styles, primarily the phalanx formation, which required coordinated mass maneuvers. It is in this that a naval officers can learn the greatest of lessons: no one sailor is more superior to another. In the phalanx formation, each solider is vital to success; this applies to the modern Navy because, in order to win wars, the entire team must work in unison, free of prejudice. With this fighting spirit came a strong sense of nationalism. This patriotism is yet another aspect essential to the makings of a naval officer.

Another point to note of Spartan society is that they treated women better than the rest of the world did. Spartan women were independent-minded and had more freedoms, powers, and education than other women across Ancient Greece. While they were not part of the military, they were encouraged to be athletic and have knowledge of war due to their spouses’ involvement. One Spartan mother once said to her son, who was leaving for war with his shield, to return “either with this, or on it” (Plutarch, Moralia, 241). When the men were out fighting, women even managed politics and property. In this society, women had a role that transcended child-rearing and cleaning, which relates to the modern military. With the Navy being almost 25% female, it is vital that a naval officer treat women equal to men. In fact, women are allowed to have any job, including those with combat. During a time where women were considered vastly inferior, a naval officer can learn from the liberties that Spartan society fairly gave females.

Word Count: 415

There Once Was A Dream That Was Rome

Molly Swiger

“There was once a dream that was Rome, you could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish.”

—Marcus Aurelius, The Gladiator

The Roman Empire is an important model that is still studied, generations after its ending. With a unique story of conquest, Romans dreamt that “one could not only conquer, but in doing so create a Pax Romana, a vast area of peace, prosperity and unity of ideas, was a genuine inspiration” (Wallace-Hadrill).

The imperial system of control was very strong and effective. Julius Cesar and Augustus represented order and unity, in contrast with the difficulties presented by pluralism. In addition, the bureaucracy introduced by emperors such as Claudius provided a long-term structure for continuity. The Union of modern Europe can largely be attributed to the foundation laid by the Roman Empire.

As a military leader, however, the Roman Empire serves as a cautionary tale for centralized control and suppression of local identities and peoples. Slavery was one of the key features attributed to Roman success. There was no regard for human rights: “From the crucifixion of rebel slaves in their thousands to the use of theatrical enactments of gruesome deaths in the arena as a form of entertainment, we see a world in which brutality was not only normal, but a necessary part of the system” (Wallace-Hadrill). Slavery was a direct result of the Roman conquests. Obviously, slavery has been outlawed from our system but military conquest walks a thin line. There is a constant discussion on the proper procedures to follow when dealing with an occupied area and its inhabitants. In the fleet, we can look to history and not follow in the footsteps of brutal leaders from the past. Promoting a healthy command climate and following orders set by the chain of command is crucial.

On the other hand, the diversity and vastness of geographical and cultural landscapes controlled by the Roman Empire was astonishing. This extensive culture combination was evident in the necessity for two official languages—Latin and Greek—as well as local tongues. The planning of cities and conscious encouragement of biodiversity led to great economic prosperity. The United States and her military can learn from this encouragement of diversity and take important lessons relating to cultural relativism. In the fleet, we will face many different ethnic and culture groups. Dealing with them tactfully and realizing that we are all human will improve our diplomatic standing.

Overall, the Roman Empire provides invaluable lessons in military and political leadership. Regardless of its blatant failings, the Roman Empire occupied one of the largest and masses in history for so long. It is no wonder why we are still talking about its vastness, power, and diversity 2,000 years later.

WC: 460

Work Cited:

Gladiator. Directed by Ridley Scott, performances by Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, and Oliver Reed, Universal Pictures, 2000.

Wallace-Hadrill, Professor Andrew. “History – Ancient History in Depth: Roman Empire: The Paradox of Power.” BBC, BBC, 17 Feb. 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/empire_01.shtml.