100-Hour War with Iraq: Could It Have Been Longer. A Clausewitzian Analysis ofthe Culminating Point of Victory

摘要

The question of whether or not the Gulf War with Iraq could have beensignificantly prolonged to topple Saddam Hussein and/or destroy his war-making capability without exceeding the culminating point of victory is addressed utilizing Carl Von Clausewitz's writings in On War as a framework for analysis. Factors that affect the relative combat strength of two warring factions other than firepower (i.e., political alignments, logistics and will), are analyzed in order to provide future operational commanders insight into those factors that also affect the relative strength between his and the enemy's forces. The analysis deals strictly with determining if or when the culminating point of victory would have been exceeded given the new and greater political objectives. It does not attempt to determine whether or not the political objectives should have been changed.... War with Iraq: Clauseqitzian analysis of culminating point of victory.