Lieutenant von Clausewitz (Problem)
Decision-Forcing Case
On 3 December 1803, Lieutenant Colonel von Scharnhorst poses the following problem.
How does the [officer commanding] the garrison of Berlin, on the night of the 2nd to the 3rd [of December] determine whether the enemy has occupied positions at [the villages of] Panko and Gesundbrunnen?
As soon as it is dark, two stealthy patrols move out. The first, which consists of one NCO and two hand-picked men of the infantry, leaves from the Oranienburger Gate in order to reconnoitre Gesundbrunnen. It has the following instructions …
In the role of Lieutenant von Clausewitz, please provide:
Instructions for the first patrol
The composition of the second patrol
Instructions for the second patrol
Be prepared to explain the logic behind any (or all) of your decisions.
Source: This problem can be found in Werner Hallweg, editor, Schriften, Aufsätze, Studien, Briefe (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Rupprecht, 1966), Volume I, pages 57 and 58.
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