The Need for Organisational Resilience - Chapter 1

National Policy

Foreign policy of expansion

Strategic level

Operation Yellow. Invasion by Army group A, B, and C

Campaigns

Concentration of attack in the Sedan sector by Army Group A (Kampfgruppe Kleist)

Major Operations

Operational level

Crossing the river Meuse by Panzer Corps (e.g. Reinhardt’s XLI Panzer Corps at Monthermé)

Battles

Tactical level

10th Panzer Division, Panzer Regiment 8, Infantry Regiment 69, Infantry Regiment "Grossdeutschland", and elements of the 43rd Assault Engineer Battalion repulse counterattack at Stonne.

Engagements

Figure 1.6: Breakdown of management levels in contemporary military science

In line with the military definition of strategic, operational, and tactical levels of war, this

book will explore aspects of Organisational Resilience in the following order:

Chapter 2: Strategic Resilience. Chapter 2 looks at the time pre-10 th May 1940,

and explores how the campaign in the west was planned by both the Allies and Germany. It

addresses the importance of linear versus adaptive thinking. An additional mini-case study –

to clarify and often to counter an obvious answer – will relate to the Battle of Kursk in July

1943.

Chapter 3: Operational Resilience. The crossing of the Meuse at Sedan from 12-15 th May – a pivotal moment in the entire campaign – will be the focus of Chapter 3. I will look at these events from the perspective of concentration versus dispersion of resources. In addition, I will focus on the Battle of the Bulge, which was fought from 16 th December – 25 th

January 1945.

Chapter 4: Tactical Resilience. The capture of Fort d’Ében-Émael during 10-12 th

May provides the context in Chapter 4 for elaboration on the distinguishing features of

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