The saying that there is no new thing under the sun, is as applicable
to military affairs as to those of everyday life, for it is fully
admitted that the principles underlying all strategy and tactics,
whether of mountain or other warfare, are immutable.
But though the principles of strategy and tactics are unchanging,
organisation, formations, and minor items of procedure, must be
continually amended to meet ever varying circumstances, and, in
addition, each campaign possesses special characteristics demanding
further modifications.
There are, in fact, no invariable rules in the conduct of war, and
whilst formalism is harmful in all matters, in military operations it
is disastrous.
An army relying on an established code of rules will often defeat
itself in their application, and even if this disaster is avoided, the
enemy will soon become aware of the methods in vogue, and will so frame
his tactics as most advantageously to counteract them.
Each problem, great and small, each set of circumstances, must,
therefore, be considered on its merits, principles must be applied
in the solution, not rules, and strategy, tactics, organisation,
equipment, and other matters, arranged accordingly.
It is in this spirit that the problems of Indian Frontier warfare
should be approached.