Pregled ratne veštine

Jomini, a Swiss-French general and theorist, served in both the Napoleonic and Russian armies, and his ideas, shaped by his experience in the Napoleonic Wars, influenced military academies including West Point.

The book divides the art of war into six branches: strategy, grand tactics, logistics, engineering, tactics, and diplomacy in relation to war. Jomini emphasizes the importance of strategy, defining it as the art of selecting key operational lines to dominate the area of ​​operations. The key principle is the concentration of superior forces at the decisive point of battle, with emphasis on interior lines. He defines logistics as the practical art of moving and supplying armies, introducing the term into military discourse.

The work deals with the adaptation of military means to political goals, emphasizing the defeat of the enemy army as the key to invasion, not just the conquest of territory. Jomini uses a geometric approach, speaking of "strategic lines" and "key points." The book contains maxims that have been widely studied, especially during the American Civil War. With a clear style and didactic structure, Jomini offers a practical guide for military leaders, making the work a classic of military theory.