t, or to
introduce new factors to offset the influence of any which tend to
cause a change. To change the situation, it is necessary to introduce
factors which will exert the desired influence; or, change may be
effected by altering the influence of factors already present. To say,
therefore, that "It depends on the situation", as in the maxim cited
(above), is to state that under all circumstances, the proper action
depends on, or is determined by, the influence of the factors
involved. Any valid rule, or principle, will accordingly take into
account the factors applicable to the case.

The application of any rule will similarly take into account the
influence of the particular factors involved. The danger of the
application of such factors to all circumstances, without due
circumspection as to their value in the existing situation, lies in
the fact that, in any particular combination of circumstances, they do
not necessarily carry equal weight.

If this view be accepted, it follows that in many situations certain
factors may, after mature deliberation, be rejected, or relegated to a
relatively inferior status, without detracting from their potential
value as fundamental considerations (page 1) in all situations.

Value and Limitations of Lists of Principles of War. The human
preference for catchwords has, by many writers on the science and art
of war, been extended to the attempted condensation of a principle or
of several principles into a single all-inclusive word or phrase. As
a result, varying lists of abstract nouns and phrases have been
advanced to constitute epitomes of the principles of war. Subject to
minor differences in number and in designation, the list most
frequently encountered comprises The Objective, Superiority, The
Offensive, Economy of Force, Movement, Cooperation, Surprise,
Security, and Simplicity.

To rely on a list of this nature, as a condensation of the
fundamentals of war, has been known to cause confusion and to result
in failure to recognize the principles which are intended to be
brought to mind.

For example, misunderstanding has resulted from the designation of the
single word, surprise, as a "principle of war". On the one hand, it
has been denied that surprise embodies a principle, the reason being
advanced that it is neither always necessary, nor feasible, nor even
desirable to attempt to obtain surprise. On the other hand, the
acceptance of the word surprise (see page 73), as