Overview

Military effectiveness is a common goal among military forces. But it is an ill defined concept. Two divergent theories cover the ground of military effectiveness. One looks at the interaction of social structures, whereas the other looks at the effect organization has on military effectiveness. Using the interwar German military as a case study, both concepts are reviewed and seams are found in both approaches. Even when evaluating with both criteria, the answers do not consistently add up to the intuitive solution. A possible explanation lies in several areas left outside of the sociological and organizational approaches to measuring military effectiveness. Key findings of this monograph are the importance of adaptability in military organizations, and the crucial role played by the linkages between all the levels of war. These linkages are an element of multiple ends, ways, means chains that also exist at and between each level of war. Finally, the important of context cannot be ignored. Any potential adversary will be actively searching for ways to improve their own security situation without regard for the security of ones own nation. Tactical and operational level overmatch is no longer enough to ensure security of the nation. It is a useful and necessary ability, but without the corresponding tight linkages to the higher levels of warfare it may lead to ultimate failure.