During a War: I reach victory because of my military power or because of my doctrine (principles, etc.)?

Answer 1

Your doctrine and principles are part of what makes up your military power. For example - it is not just the high tech gear that makes our military so successful, it is the fact that we have studied military theory and developed new military theory.

Answer 2

Actually it is both... but if I had to pick I would go with doctrine.

Now there isn't a totally clear distinction between the two, in that doctrine drives the sort of military you will have, and to a certian extent vica versa. For example Alexander the Great's doctrine called for him to develop both the Companion Heavy Cavalry, and the Macedonian Phalanx... so they type of units he had (his "power") depended on what sort of doctrine he had developed.

That being said History is full of examples where smaller (less powerful?) forces defeated larger more powerful ones through inovative doctrine.
Alexander is an excellent example, with a few thousand men armed mostly with oversize cutlerly, he took over the largest and most powerful empire the planet had, to date, seen.

Hanibal is another example. He used his Numidian Cavalry in ways that devistated the larger Roman Army. At Cannae alone he killed or captured 50,000 Romans... that is roughly the same number of men the USA lost in the Vietnam war and Hannibal killed that many in one afternoon!

The Roman battles with Pyrrhus showed the superiority of the Roman's Manipular Legion concept over the classical Phalanx still used by Pyrrhus. Even though they never beat Pyrrhus in battle, straight up, the Romans showed that the Phalanx was obsolite.

Crécy, Poitiers, and Agincourt. all examples of smaller forces with better doctirne (for example Longbowmen) taking out larger more powerful forces.

Look at the works of Stonewall Jackson and Robert E Lee. Chancelorsville is a great example.

Look to the German invasion of France in 1940 as the classic modern example of this, or the Israeli war of Independence, or the "Six Day War" in the Middle East, or Mao's victory in the Chinese Civil War.

Next remember that bad doctrine can not only neutralize a more powerful forces advantages, bad doctirne can force a stronger force to loose. Examples of this are rife too.. Look at the Battle of Fredricksburg and see how inept Union Leadership and inflexible planning snatched bloody defeat from the Jaws of Victory (look at Antetam/ Sharpsburg for this too). Look at how the British Army managed to bungle almost everything it did from Christmas 1914 till the Battle of Cambri. Look at Dien Bien Phu for an example of a force that had equipment, training, best weapons, and bravery by the truckload loosing out because it's own leadership set it up for defeat.

Good leadership and good doctrine can make up for a multitude of other sins.

Answer 3

If, like in WW2 in Europe, 60 Million allied soldiers with access to munition and fuel, fight 6 Million soldiers (Germans), with no Munition and Fuel, then, when they are all done, bomb the country for good measure into oblivion, you don't need God, Doctrines or Strategy.
If, however, like in Vietnam, nobody invited you and the population hates you, you can't win, doesn't matter what.

Answer 4

Military power.
Having principles only weaken you and let
those who have none destroy you.

Having the Lord , Jesus Christ, on your side will ensure victory.
That is how America won WWI and II