n a general way be brought under certain classes, and the
knowledge of these classes will contribute to make our observations more
intelligible.

Destruction of the enemy's military forces is in reality the object of
all combats; but other objects may be joined thereto, and these other
objects may be at the same time predominant; we must therefore draw a
distinction between those in which the destruction of the enemy's forces
is the principal object, and those in which it is more the means. The
destruction of the enemy's force, the possession of a place or the
possession of some object may be the general motive for a combat, and
it may be either one of these alone or several together, in which case
however usually one is the principal motive. Now the two principal forms
of War, the offensive and defensive, of which we shall shortly speak, do
not modify the first of these motives, but they certainly do modify
the other two, and therefore if we arrange them in a scheme they would
appear thus:--

OFFENSIVE. DEFENSIVE.
1. Destruction of enemy's force 1. Destruction of enemy's force.
2. Conquest of a place. 2. Defence of a place.
3. Conquest of some object. 3. Defence of some object.

These motives, however, do not seem to embrace completely the whole
of the subject, if we recollect that there are reconnaissances and
demonstrations, in which plainly none of these three points is the
object of the combat. In reality we must, therefore, on this account be
allowed a fourth class. Strictly speaking, in reconnaissances in which
we wish the enemy to show himself, in alarms by which we wish to wear
him out, in demonstrations by which we wish to prevent his leaving some
point or to draw him off to another, the objects are all such as can
only be attained indirectly and UNDER THE PRETEXT OF ONE OF THE THREE
OBJECTS SPECIFIED IN THE TABLE, usually of the second; for the enemy
whose aim is to reconnoitre must draw up his force as if he really
intended to attack and defeat us, or drive us off, &c. &c. But this
pretended object is not the real one, and our present question is only
as to the latter; therefore, we must to the above three objects of the
offensive further add a fourth, which is to lead the enemy to make a
false conclusion. That offensive means are conceivable in connection
with this object, lies in the nature of the thing.

On the other hand we must observe that the