Abstract

Proponents of offense/defense theory often attribute the changes in a nation's offense/defense balance (ODB) to alterations in its military strategies. They assume that when a nation's technological capabilities favor offense, the state will be inclined to adopt an offensive military strategy; similarly, when a nation's armed forces have a defensive advantage, the state will be disposed to pursuing a defensive strategy.1 In essence, offense/defense theory views adjustments in military doctrine as the product of changes in the balance of military capabilities. Detractors of the theory argue that its predictive capacity is limited, and are quick to point out the many historical examples of changes in ODB that have failed to produce the strategic adjustments predicted by the theory. This essay examines how changes in the ODB affect the development of military doctrine, and investigates the circumstances under which nations adopt new strategies. It also explores how offensive and defensive advantages influence the strategic choices of a nation's armed forces, and what effects the advent of informationalized warfare will have on the development of military doctrine.

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