This post is written from the perspective of a military commander overseeing an operation.
Geography is a broad and diverse field of study, encompassing not just the physical layout of the Earth’s surface but also the human and cultural factors that interact with it. From a military perspective, geography’s importance cannot be overstated. The successful execution of national security operations, strategic planning, and the establishment of defense infrastructure hinges on an in-depth understanding of geography (Palka & Galgano, 2000).
Approaching this from a regional perspective, geography provides essential insights into how the physical environment can impact the maneuverability and strategy of armed forces (Kaplan, 2013). For instance, mountains and rivers can form natural barriers, affecting troop movements and supply routes. The climate and weather patterns can also play a significant role. Extreme cold, heat, or unpredictable weather can influence the logistics and timing of military operations. Moreover, understanding a region’s geographical features could provide opportunities for camouflage and concealment (Merilaita et al., 2017).
Looking at the scale of a specific operation, let’s consider a hypothetical intervention in a conflict-prone region. The geography of the area could profoundly influence the outcome of the operation. For example, understanding the urban layout, including the locations of critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, airports, and communication facilities, could determine how effectively and swiftly military assets can be deployed. It could also aid in planning for possible evacuation procedures or humanitarian efforts (Brown et al., 2005).
The context of a situation also plays a pivotal role. National security professionals must understand how geography interacts with political, cultural, and economic aspects (Lewis, 2019). For instance, a nation’s resource geography, where critical resources are located and how they’re transported, is integral to offensive and defensive strategic planning. Countries may go to great lengths to protect resource-rich regions or target such regions in adversary nations. The interplay of these factors makes the study of geography inextricably linked with geopolitics.
For a national security professional, mastering geography provides a comprehensive understanding of the operational environment, guides strategic planning, and facilitates informed decision-making (Das et al., 2012). These skills are essential in achieving national security objectives and ensuring the successful execution of military operations. One example of the critical role of geography in national security is the D-Day Invasion during World War II. Allied forces had to consider factors such as tide timings, moonlight, weather, and the physical geography of the Normandy beaches when planning the invasion. Their understanding of geography was critical to the success of the operation (Collins, 1998).
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad, one of World War II’s most pivotal and brutal battles, is an excellent case study to illustrate the significant role of geography in military operations. This post aims to provide an analysis from the perspective of a Russian commander.
The city of Stalingrad, now Volgograd, was strategically positioned along the western bank of the Volga River. It was an industrial hub and a primary transport route for delivering supplies and reinforcements (Beevor, 1998). This geographical advantage significantly contributed to the Soviet Union’s ability to sustain prolonged and intense warfare despite German forces’ encirclement and intense pressure (Craig, 2004).
Firstly, the Volga River was a natural defensive barrier against the Germans (McNeese, 2005). The river’s width, depth, and rapid current made it challenging for the Germans to establish a secure foothold on the eastern bank. The Soviets exploited this natural advantage by using the river as a supply line and reinforcement. Despite heavy bombardment and the air superiority of the German Luftwaffe, the Soviets managed to ferry troops, ammunition, and supplies from the eastern bank to the beleaguered city, reinforcing their defense and resilience (Howell, 1956).
Secondly, the urban geography of Stalingrad presented another advantage to the defenders. The city was filled with factories, residential buildings, and sewer systems, which provided the Soviet forces with numerous opportunities for cover, ambush, and a war of attrition (Gott, 2006). The close-quarters combat neutralized the German forces’ advantages in maneuver warfare and airpower, forcing them into a grueling, block-by-block, building-by-building struggle, which the Soviets termed “Rattenkrieg” or “Rat War” (Jones, 2010)
Finally, the onset of the harsh Russian winter further tilted the balance in favor of the Soviets (Havlat, 2017). The German forces, unprepared for the severe cold, were demoralized, and their equipment was rendered increasingly ineffective (Glantz & House, 2009, 2015). Conversely, the Soviets were better accustomed to and equipped for such conditions. This climatic factor, a key element of Russia’s physical geography, significantly slowed German advancement and eventually contributed to their defeat (Erickson, 2019).
To conclude, a deep understanding of geography in terms of physical features like the Volga River and the Russian winter and human-made aspects like the urban layout proved crucial to the successful defense of Stalingrad. It allowed the Soviets to maximize their strengths, exploit their enemy’s weaknesses, and eventually turn the tide of World War II.
References
Beevor, A. (1998). Stalingrad. Tateful Siege: 1942–1943. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc.
Brown, G. G., Carlyle, W. M., Salmerón, J., & Wood, K. (2005). Analyzing the Vulnerability of Critical Infrastructure to Attack and Planning Defenses. In H. J. Greenberg & J. C. Smith (Eds.), Emerging Theory, Methods, and Applications (pp. 102–123). INFORMS. https://doi.org/10.1287/educ.1053.0018
Collins, J. M. (1998). Military Geography for Professionals and the Public. Potomac Books, Inc.
Craig, W. (2004). Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad. Konecky Konecky.
Das, S. K., Kant, K., & Zhang, N. (2012). Handbook on Securing Cyber-Physical Critical Infrastructure. Elsevier.
Erickson, J. (2019). The Road To Stalingrad: Stalin’s War With Germany. Routledge.
Glantz, D. M., & House, J. M. (2009). Armageddon in Stalingrad: September-November 1942. University Press of Kansas.
Glantz, D. M., & House, J. M. (2015). When Titans Clashed: How the Red Army Stopped Hitler, Revised and Expanded Edition. University Press of Kansas.
Gott, K. D. (2006). Breaking the Mold: Tanks in the Cities. Government Printing Office.
Havlat, D. (2017). Western Aid for the Soviet Union During World War II: Part I. The Journal of Slavic Military Studies, 30(2), 290–320. https://doi.org/10.1080/13518046.2017.1307058
Howell, E. M. (1956). The Soviet Partisan Movement, 1941-1944. Department of the Army.
Jones, M. K. (2010). Stalingrad: How the Red Army Triumphed. Pen and Sword.
Kaplan, R. D. (2013). The revenge of geography: What the map tells us about coming conflicts and the battle against fate. Random House Trade Paperbacks.
Lewis, T. G. (2019). Critical Infrastructure Protection in Homeland Security: Defending a Networked Nation. John Wiley & Sons.
McNeese, T. (2005). The Volga River. Infobase Publishing.
Merilaita, S., Scott-Samuel, N. E., & Cuthill, I. C. (2017). How camouflage works. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 372(1724), 20160341. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2016.0341
Palka, E. J., & Galgano, F. A. (2000). The Scope of Military Geography: Across the Spectrum from Peacetime to War. McGraw-Hill Primis Custom Pub.