A New Way to Look at an Old War: A Strategic Study of the Second Punic War.

Abstract : Many scholars have examined the history of the Second Punic War fought by the Romans and Carthaginians from 218 to 202 B.C. These histories include detailed accounts of some of the most famous battles of ancient times. Modern students of military science study these battles so that they will be better able to identify and use the principles employed by past great captains to plan and conduct a future battle or campaign. However, while these accounts are rich in operational art, few historians study the strategic elements of that protracted war. This study begins with a brief recap of Second Punic War up to the Battle of Cannae. Then it analyzes the strategic elements of the war after the Battle of Cannae - focusing on the ends, ways, and means of both sides. During the course of the analysis, other current military principles are identified: decisive point, theater of operation, center of gravity, culminating point, and interior lines.