Pharaohs: Early Practitioners of Operational Art (1550-1070 B.C.)

摘要

Man's history in the lands of the Nile extends back to the dawn of humankind and is one of the possible locations where man first crossed the line from indiscriminative violence to organized warfare. However, military historians ignore ancient Egyptians' contribution to military art and science by relating the origins of operational art to European and American practitioners of the nineteenth century. Did the ancient Egyptian military reached a high level of sophistication, and did it practice operational art as conceived by modern military theorists during the New Kingdom of the Early Bronze Age (1550-1070 B.C.). This work makes the case that operational art emerged during that period. This study explains how ancient Egypt's war machine reached a high level of sophistication through a brief examination of ancient Egypt warfare. It then examines the Pharaohs' campaigns in the Asiatic theater using operational factors and elements as discussed within the current U.S. Army doctrine. This research suggests that the Egyptian Pharaohs during the New Kingdom applied operational art. Accordingly, theoreticians and practitioners should date the origins of operational art at least as early as ancient Egypt. The significance of this study is paramount as it expands the boundaries of military history by showing that the origins of operational art do not lie exclusively within nineteenth century military conflicts in Europe and America. Additionally, it proves that operational art is a timeless phenomenon and will continue to evolve and withstand the changing conditions of future warfare. Instead of relating operational art to a specific country, military scholars should put the pieces of the operational paradigm together, starting from the early beginning to the modern times.