B01- Grand Strategy in Peace and War

Strategy defined in the simplest terms is the way one gets what one wants. That is, strategy is one’s plan to achieve objectives. We will study Grand Strategy (synonymous with National Security Strategy)--the state’s plan to achieve its objectives to protect and promote its national interests in peace and war. We define grand strategy (or national security strategy) as the use of four broad tools--economics, diplomacy, information, and military--in pursuit of national goals. A strategy in balance--one that employs all four tools to their maximum--will generally win over an unbalanced strategy, a notion repeated all term.

There are principles of strategy we will note during our time together, but like the principles of war, they are usually situational and, therefore, not always useful. By examining the writings of Terry Deibel and others, and intensely discussing what strategists said and did we will emerge with a grasp of strategy we hope will make us useful strategic thinkers and decision makers or at least constructive assistants and advisers to strategic decision makers.

We will use vigorous seminar discussion, intense reading, writing, and other tools to promote our goal—we aim to produce strategists.