e
with the greatest chance of victory; tactics tries to handle the
forces with which it enters a battle in such a way that its side
shall gain the victory. Strategy prepares for battles; tactics
fights them.

The tactics of any battle must be in the hands of the
commanders-in-chief on both sides. Any other arrangement is
inconceivable; but the strategy controlling the series of battles
in any war cannot now be committed to them solely; though it was
usually committed to them until lately. In the days when Alexander
went to war, or even when Napoleon and Nelson went to war, twenty-one
centuries later, no telegraph by sea and land made swift communication
possible; and the commanders on the spot were the only ones in
possession of enough information about the contending forces to
decide what measures should be taken. Even in those days, however,
the capitals of the countries engaged in war, by reason of their
knowledge of what was passing in the way of policy, exerted an
influence on the strategy of the forces on both sea and land; Caesar,
for instance, was embarrassed in many of his operations by the Roman
Senate, and it was for this reason that he crossed the Rubicon
and passed from Gaul into Italy. When William I and Napoleon III
went to war in 1870, however, Von Moltke had foreseen the effects
of the telegraph and of rapid-mail communications, in giving to the
headquarters of the army information of a much greater scope and
reliability than had previously been the case, and had established
a General Staff which had elaborated plans whereby not only would the
commanders-in-chief in the field have the assistance of information
compiled at headquarters, but whereby the general nature of the
operations of a war, especially those operations at the outset on
which the future conduct of the war would largely depend, would
be decided and laid down in advance and during times of peace. The
reason for the rapid victory of the Prussians over the French in
1870 was that the Prussians were better prepared in almost every
way; especially in the most important thing--the war plans.

Now, these war plans could not, of course, be of such a kind that
they would foresee every contingency and prescribe the conduct
to be followed, so that a commander in the field could turn to
page 221 of volume 755, and get directions as to what he ought to
do; nor could they furnish the chief of staff, Von Moltke, with
printed recommendations which