The Clausewitz Collection (merged thread)

[William F. Owen]

Operational art contains many tools for conceptualizing military operations at large. That doesn't mean we are working at the operational level. Again here, an overuse of the word "operation" contributes to our collective confusion.

So Operational Art is not related to "Operational Warfighting?" I thought one expressed the other?
By tools, do you means staff procedures used to aid planning?
Does conceptualizing mean "planning?"

They key question to ask is whether the campaign/operation being planned sets the conditions for tactical success that in turn creates a strategic effect. This is the "linking" of tactics to strategy that must be accomplished in the operational realm.

Sorry, to me the campaign/operation being planned sets the conditions for tactical success is tactics. Intelligence, Logistics, planning, and Command are the realm of tactics and I cannot see how calling them the "Operational Level" makes it any different.

....and I thought the "Operational level" was related to Corps and Divisions with Corps assets?