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How do commanders use surprise as a tactical advantage?
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tactics
Sumerian phalanx, a block of foot soldiers depicted standing shield-to-shield, presenting spears, and advancing in a dense mass, detail from the Stele of the Vultures, limestone bas-relief, c. 2450 bce; in the Louvre Museum, Paris.
In military tactics, surprise is considered a fundamental principle essential to success in war. Commanders utilize surprise to gain a decisive advantage by catching an enemy off guard, often resulting in the enemy's rapid collapse or inability to respond effectively.123
Commanders achieve surprise through several key methods:
- Secrecy and Deception: Surprise relies heavily on maintaining secrecy regarding intentions and movements. Commanders often employ decoys—such as dummy equipment or fake troop concentrations—to mislead the enemy about the location or timing of an attack, as seen in the Allied use of Operation Fortitude during World War II.24
- Intelligence and Entrapment: By breaking enemy codes or gathering superior intelligence, commanders can identify vulnerabilities and orchestrate traps to surprise an opponent.3
- Flexibility: Because warfare involves a living enemy, commanders must remain flexible. They must adapt their plans rapidly to the enemy's reactions, creating opportunities to strike when the opponent is least prepared.2
- Concentration of Force: Surprise is particularly effective when it allows a commander to concentrate firepower or forces against a specific point, such as the naval tactic of "crossing the T," where a fleet could devastate an enemy before they could effectively return fire.3