Читать книгу American Civil War For Dummies - Keith D. Dickson - Страница 102

Given a strategy with an objective, an army commander develops a campaign; within the campaign the commander seeks to meet the enemy force at the most advantageous place and time. When these forces encounter each other, it is called a battle. Battles in a campaign are supposed to be planned events, meant to move the campaign toward its ultimate objective. Commanders now employ tactics (methods of employing troops in combat) to defeat or destroy enemy forces. As you may expect, what was originally planned to work according to the proper application of the principles of war often ends on the battlefield as a set of improvised tactical actions in the midst of a maelstrom of death and destruction. Regardless of how well the plans are followed, battles are

 Won

 Lost

 Have no effect

A battle is called decisive when success on the battlefield translates into attaining or significantly furthering strategic objectives.