What Are George Washington's Tactics In The Revolutionary War

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Revolutionary War Tactics 1st Draft “In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack - the direct, and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers.” (Tzu 1). Sun Tzu had the same mindset as George Washington in the Revolutionary War. He and his American brethren needed to call upon much more than courage and perseverance to survive in that time. Today, America is a major global power, but it first had to fight for its dominance. The earliest of the “battles” in this fight for sovereignty was the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary war effort was commanded by some cunning men using bold strategies. America’s victory in the Revolutionary War was due to Guerrilla Warfare’s ability to offer …show more content…
This way of fighting had never been seen outside of uncivilized skirmishes in ancient times. They had rediscovered that they didn’t have to follow a special code of “honor” – whatever that means – to secure victory. Fighting, for them had thrown off its guise of nobility.
The primary fighting force that George Washington could call upon and command, was the “Minutemen”. They were local groups of militia, who were ready to defend their towns at the drop of a hat. The conglomerate of militiamen was made up of men generally from ages 15-60 .
These men were born, raised, lived, and died in their towns. In some cases, it was all they knew. This made for a very locally land savvy community. As for the men fighting in the British Army, they were stepping into totally alien territory. They thought they had nothing to fear. This would be a walk in the park for them; they had put down rebellions in the past. Little did they know, they were stepping into a Revolution. The likes of which had never been seen
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When underdogs are fighting against a major power, like America and Great Britain – in this case, the little guys are faced with a choice. Do we fight and die honorably? Or do we fight to win the war, by any means necessary. Those who aren’t stupid or prideful, probably would choose the latter option. Being the underdog means fighting at a disadvantage. Upfront confrontation would mean annihilation. Guerrilla warfare was birthed from this primal instinct. This tactic consists of small hit and run attacks, usually with heavy cover and striking at opportune moments, or under cover of darkness. But who would be pushed to such a level of disparity to resort to such a