text: Appendix A
  The Principles of War
  The art of war owns certain elements and fixed principles. We must acquire that theory,
  and lodge it in our heads—otherwise, we will never get very far.
  Frederick the Great
  This appendix discusses the traditional principles of war. It then discusses the
  principles of joint operations.
  THE TRADITIONAL PRINCIPLES OF WAR
  A-1. The nine principles of war represent the most important physical, human, and information factors that
  affect the conduct of operations at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels. The principles are not a
  checklist. While considered in all operations, they do not apply in the same way to every situation. Rather,
  they summarize characteristics of historically successful operations. Applied to the study of past campaigns,
  major operations, battles, and engagements, the principles of war are powerful analysis tools. Joint doctrine
  adds three principles of operations to the nine traditional principles.
  A-2. Originally derived from J.F.C. Fuller’s published works for the British army, the principles have
  essentially remained the same over the last century, standing the test of analysis, experimentation, and
  practice in war. Fuller is not the only influence on the U.S. Army’s theory of victory, which is the sum of
  over two centuries of experience and study on the art of war and warfare. Eastern and Western military
  theorists have often debated constants in the nature of war, and the principles of war as currently described
  are informed by many points of view. Though the theories of victory and operational concepts have evolved
  to meet the demands of military operations throughout the decades, the principles have stayed relevant. Fuller
  ended his work in 1926 with a valuable maxim. Quoting Napoleon Bonaparte, he wrote, “The whole art of
  war consists in a well-reasoned and extremely circumspect defensive, followed by rapid and audacious
  attack.” Fuller closed his 1926 work, The Foundations of the Science of War, by summarizing the quote in
  three bold words: GUARD, MOVE, HIT.
  A-3. In Army doctrine, a principle is a comprehensive and fundamental rule or an assumption of central
  importance that guides how an organization approaches and thinks about the conduct of operations
  (ADP 1-01). Principles apply to the conduct of operations in general and to specific organizations or
  functions. The principles of war are just one example. The nine traditional principles are organized
  deliberately, enabling a practitioner to begin with actions on the objective and cognitively work backwards
  to through the process of organizing forces and activities to accomplish their mission. The principles are—
  (cid:122) Objective.
  (cid:122) Offensive.
  (cid:122) Mass.
  (cid:122) Economy of force.
  (cid:122) Maneuver.
  (cid:122) Unity of command.
  (cid:122) Security.
  (cid:122) Surprise.
  (cid:122) Simplicity.