Logistics …. _{and everything other than the fighting} … In War

‘The conclusion is irresistible that the military themselves know next to nothing about logistics’.

– United States Marine Corps Colonel George C Thorpe, Pure Logistics, 1917.

Welcome to ‘The Paper War’, an evolution of the ‘Logistics in War’ site.

‘The Paper War’ is coined from Clausewitz’s masterpiece on strategy ‘On War’; a phrase by Clausewitz to critique the overly theoretical approach of his contemporaries. Just as abstract concepts about war needed to be balanced by lessons from experience and practical action two hundred years ago, the same need characterises our time.

‘Logistics In War’, from late 2015, sought to provide a forum by which assumptions, beliefs and fantastical visions of military logistics and warfare could be challenged. ‘The Paper War’ broadens this exploration beyond logistics, and to the full spectrum of matters that impact how contemporary militaries, and those that support them, ready themselves for the challenges of the future.

As with two hundred years ago, modern conversations about national security, strategy, preparedness, resilience and military performance in peace and operations are convoluted by theoretical possibilities, concepts and assumptions about what happens and why. Long-time readers have seen this problem reflected in how logistics is referred to or thought about.

‘The Paper War’ is one person’s analysis of issues affecting the preparations of militaries and the nation’s they serve, and an attempt to balance the hypotheticals shaping organisations with lessons from history, and individual and collective experience. It is written in the spirit of Thorpe, above, who handed down a challenge for generations of military logisticians – to prepare for the future war, one must go beyond the concepts, ideas and assumptions.

‘The Paper War’ is operated by Dr David Beaumont (Twitter handle @davidblogistics).

‘The Paper War’ supports the development of an international community of practitioners that can share ideas, concepts and useful material in an insightful, courteous and professional manner reflective of the values of the Defence and public sector organisations that its readers may serve in.

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