Summary of The American Way of War, Pt 2, The French View

00:00:00 - 00:20:00

In the "The American Way of War, Pt 2, The French View" YouTube video, Michael Shurin delves into the French critique of the American approach to warfare. French military thinkers closely study American strategic culture due to its global influence and critique the American reliance on vast resources and total victory. They observe that Americans tend to moralize conflicts and believe they fight just wars, leading to a permissive attitude towards warfare and a focus on having as much power and resources as possible. French scholars like Evere Kari and General Michel Yakovlev argue that Americans misunderstand the concept of the center of gravity and focus too much on attacking the enemy's strength rather than their vulnerability. The French advocate for a more nuanced approach that considers the potential chain reactions of actions and aims for limited political objectives, likely due to their lack of resources compared to the Americans. The video also touches upon the differences between American and French military strategies, with Americans favoring advanced technology and firepower to destroy the enemy, while the French adopt a more minimalist approach with limited means and objectives.

• 00:00:00 In this section of the video, Michael Shurin explores the French perspective on the American way of war. According to Shurin, French military thinkers closely study American strategic culture due to its global influence. They critique the American approach, which they see as relying on vast resources and seeking total victory. French scholars like Evere Kari and General Michel Yakovlev observe that Americans tend to moralize conflicts and believe they fight just wars. This mindset, they argue, leads to a permissive attitude towards warfare and a focus on having as much power and resources as possible to minimize losses while maximizing enemy casualties. Kari also notes the influence of audiovisual media on the recent imperative for clean or surgical wars, but suggests it has not fundamentally changed the American approach to warfare.
• 00:05:00 In this section of the video, the speaker discusses the American way of war as seen through the French perspective, specifically during World War I and II. General Pershing is noted for not deploying the American Expeditionary Force to the front lines until he had sufficient material strength to avoid massacres, as the French and British had experienced in 1914. The American military favored firepower over maneuver and shock, described as "a gigantic work of demolition," while the French preferred maneuver and audacity. American observers noted the Americans' focus on destruction, while the French saw it as a planning failure. Kobi also criticizes the American military's relationship with civilian leaders, citing a "cult of decisive force" and a privileging of planning over execution. These issues became more pronounced after World War II with the creation of a bureaucratic machine and the advent of operations research.
• 00:10:00 In this section of the video, scholars Bruno Coulson and Kori Schake discuss the American military's planning mentality and its impact on asymmetrical conflicts. Coulson argues that the US Army's traditional vision, inherited from George C. Marshall, sees the battlefield as rational and programmable, making it difficult for Americans to adapt to adversaries in asymmetrical conflicts where political elements are more important than military instruments. Schake adds that Americans' obsession with technical abilities makes them less open to understanding other cultures and establishing contacts with populations, as seen in the US experiences in Vietnam, Iraq, and Somalia. Yakov Kedmi, in the introduction to the edition, also criticizes the "scientist fad" in Western militaries, including the US Military, which believes there is a technical solution to every tactical problem and that war can be conducted in a rational, scientific, and methodical way. Yakov sees this as a major flaw in Western military culture, particularly in the American Military, which continues to invest in expensive programs while neglecting simpler means that are more useful in regional and local crises.
• 00:15:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "The American Way of War, Pt 2, The French View," Yakov Mikhalev, a military analyst, discusses the French critique of the American military's approach to warfare. The French argue that Americans place too much emphasis on process and rationality, which they refer to as being "jinian" and "zinian." Mikhalev explains that the French believe that Americans misunderstand the concept of the center of gravity, which they define as the source of an adversary's power. The French criticize Americans for focusing too much on attacking the enemy's strength rather than their vulnerability and for relying too heavily on technology and quantitative analysis. Instead, the French advocate for a more nuanced approach that considers the potential chain reactions of actions and aims for limited political objectives. Mikhalev suggests that this approach stems from the French lack of resources and their understanding that they cannot always match the American military's firepower.
• 00:20:00 In this section of the YouTube video "The American Way of War, Pt 2, The French View," the speaker discusses the differences between American and French military strategies. The Americans, according to the speaker, have a mindset focused on using their advanced technology and firepower to destroy the enemy, even in limited war situations. The French, on the other hand, see an obsession with technology and planning among Americans, believing that they have infinite resources and can plan for the best-case scenario. In contrast, the French approach is more minimalist, aiming for limited effects with their limited means. The speaker also mentions a French belief that Americans prioritize maximalist approaches to destroying the enemy due to their abundant resources. The video also includes a call to action for viewers to like, subscribe, and check out previous videos and related resources.