| Summary: | The principles of war have for a long time been contested and criticized for being too imprecise and vague, even questioned as to their validity and applicability in modern warfare. Despite military thinkers and officers having questioned them, the principles of war constitute a central part of the western military doctrines and regulations. The purpose of this study is to examine the meaning of the principle of concentration of force and surprise in modern naval warfare. Due to the ambiguity of the principles of war, both principles have been analysed through the theoretical views of Clausewitz, Fuller, Montgomery and Collins. Using a case study method, the two principles of war have been tested hypothetically on the battle of Baltim during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. The result of the study shows that all hypotheses were confirmed in the analysis and the principles of concentration of force and surprise were applicable in modern naval warfare. There is however, a need for further empirical studies regarding the principles of war in order to strengthen this study’s result and to test the validity of other principles in modern warfare.
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