, of
making an attack for which the enemy may be unprepared, and has
the disadvantage of being far from its home bases; whereas the
defensive has the disadvantage of not knowing when or where or
whence an attack is to come, and the advantage of the support of
various kinds given by home bases. In other words, the offensive
has the advantage except in so far as it is impaired by unfavorable
conditions.

For this reason, every military nation at the outset of war desires
to be able to assume the offensive; and only refrains from the
offensive from motives of prudence or because, in a particular
case, the distance between the adversaries is so great, that the
lack of bases would be of greater weight than the advantage of the
initiative--or because the situations of the contending parties would
be such that the side accepting the defensive role and staying near
home, might be able to carry on aggressive attacks better than could
the other. An illustration of a mistake in taking the offensive,
and the wisdom of the other side in accepting the defensive, may be
seen in Napoleon's expedition against Russia; for the Russians were
able to repel his attack completely, and then to assume a terrible
offensive against his retreating, disorganized, and starving army.
Another illustration was the expedition made by a weak Spanish fleet
under Cervera to the Caribbean in 1898. Another illustration was
that of the Russians in the war of 1904; the practical disadvantages
under which the Russian fleet operated at Tsushima were too great
to be balanced by the advantage of the attack; especially as the
situation was such that the Japanese were able to foretell with
enough accuracy for practical purposes the place where the attack
would be delivered, and the time.

Operations on the sea, like operations on the land, consist in
opposing force to force, in making thrusts and making parries.
If two men or two ships contend in a duel, or if two parallel
columns--say of ten ships each--are drawn up abreast each other,
the result will depend mainly on the hitting and enduring powers of
the combatants; the conditions of the "stand-up fight" are realized,
and there is little opportunity for strategy to exert itself.

But if any country--say the United States--finds herself involved
in war with--say a powerful naval Power or Powers of Europe, and the
realization of the fact comes with the suddenness that characterized
the coming of war in August,