Page 205 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo I

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the basis of reading of great classics of the history or works based on them, such as the
monumental work of Edward Gibbon, Decline and fall of the Roman Empire (1788).
In the second half of the eighteenth century, German philosophy, reflecting the
movements of the Enlightenment and Weltanschauung inspired what might be understood
as an attempt to rationalize war, it was, however, a powerful manifestation of German
idealism, which would influence other fields and areas of knowledge. While history
continued to form the basis upon which the other sciences and disciplines moved, the
growth of knowledge established connections and perspectives that would give it a new
dimension.

Berenhorst [...] in 1802, publishes its Betrachtungen über die Kriegskunt, the first major work
written under the sign of the new German philosophy. The author read the Critique of Reason,
by Kant, appeared in 1781, and attempts to somehow transpose this new Weltanschauung to the
strategy: as well as Kant wanted to fix the limits of reason, Berenhorst seeks to demonstrate that the
field of war goes beyond reason . For him, the war has reasons that reason ignores. [...]
In modern warfare, many things are beyond reason and the domain of the unexpected. In particular,
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the study of battles and Kolin and Kunersdorf , real massacres, leads Berenhorst to say that the
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ancient science and, a fortiori, the doctrine of Folard are no longer sufficient: the influence of the
fire factor assigns to the modern battle an element, << a random >> (ein Zufall), new, what it is
impossible to evaluate a priori. (SCHNEIDER, 1975, p. 56)
From History, the ancient source of knowledge, it is possible to draw lessons that
contribute to the other sciences and disciplines in our case, policy and strategy in war.
Understanding them in a given space and time can result in valid conclusions for other
historical coordinates.

2. The Cisplatine War – a unique case?
The Cisplatine War opposed Brazil, then a monarchy ruled by the dynasty of Braganza,
and the United Provinces of the Rio de La Plata, with its capital at Buenos Aires, the
geo-historical core of the present-day Argentina. Despite the conflict bearing the name
Cisplatine - the territory limited by Rio de La Plata, Rio Uruguay, the longitudinal line
running from Rio Grande’s coast and the Atlantic - what was at stake was a space wider

5 In the battle of Kolin (August 18,1757), the mistakes made by Frederick adjuncts in left and right
wings of his army, respectively by Prince Maurice and General Manstein, created a situation in which
the Prussian infantry was exposed to the fire of Austrian artillery and infantry, suffering very heavy
casualties. (LUUVAS, 1999, p. 216-225).
6 At Kunersdorf (August 12, 1759), Frederick suffered a heavy defeat against the Russians and Austrians.
Although the Austrian cavalry in reserve has been decisive to consummate the Prussian defeat, with
regard to “fire factor” here observed by the author of the quote, was the failure of the cavalry charge of
Seydlitz before the fire of Russian artillery and infantry who initiates the defeat of Frederick, imposing
to him devastating casualties.
7 The author refers to Chevalier Folard (1669-1752), famous French theorist of war invited by Frederick
II in 1748 to visit him in Berlin. As the visit was not consummated, Frederick ordered the printing of an
extract from Folard most famous work (published in Amsterdam in 1729) - Histoire du grec of Polybe
traduite avec un commentaire, “which he published for the use of their own officers” (LUUVAS, 1999,
p 51). op. cit. Quimby, Robert S. The Background of the Napoleonic Warfare: The Theory of Military
Tactics in Eighteenth Century France (New York ,1957) pp. 26-41.