Military commanders turn tactics into strategic victory by "operational art," the knowledge and creative imagination commanders and staff employ in designing, synchronizing, and conducting battles and major operations to achieve strategic goals. Until now, historians of military theory have agreed modern operational art developed between First and Second World Wars, not in United States but in Germany and Soviet Union, whose armies were innovators and practitioners of operational art. Some have claimed U.S. forces struggled in World War II because their commanders had no systematic understanding of operational art. Michael R. Matheny believes previous studies have not appreciated the evolution of U.S. military thinking at operational level. Although they may point to U.S. Army's failure to modernize or develop a sophisticated combined arms doctrine during the inter war years, they focus too much on technology or tactical doctrine. Matheny shows that it was at the operational level, particularly in mounting joint and combined operations, that senior American commanders excelled and laid a foundation for their country's victory in World War II. Matheny draws on archival materials from military educational institutions, planning documents, and operational records of World War II campaigns. Examining in detail the development of American operational art as land, sea, and air power matured in twentieth century, he shows that, U.S. war colleges educated and trained commanders during inter war years specifically for operational art they employed in World War II. After 1945, American military largely abandoned operational art. But since the Vietnam War, U.S. commanders have found operational art increasingly important as they pursue modern global and expeditionary warfare requiring coordination among multiple service branches and forces of allied countries.-- Publisher's description.

The roots of operational art --Operational art in the American Army before 1919 -- Landpower -- Airpower -- Seapower -- The European theater of war -- The Pacific theater of war -- Lessons and legacy.

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