"The tactical result of an engagement forms the base for new strategic decisions because victory or defeat in a battle changes the situation to such a degree that no human acumen is able to see beyond the first battle. In this sense one should understand Napoleon's saying: "I have never had a plan of operations." Therefore no plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first contact with the main hostile force."
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Academics from GermanyPoliticians from GermanyMilitary leaders from GermanyHistorians from GermanyNon-fiction authors from Germany
Original Language: English
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No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy. — As quoted in Donnybrook : The Battle of Bull Run, 1861 (2005) by David Detzer, p. 233
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Helmuth_von_Moltke_the_Elder
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Helmuth von Moltke the Elder
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