OCS Military History Exam Questions & Answers
GRADED A+
-Native-Americans' Warfighting Style. Did the Native-Americans use stealthy tactics?
Did they have good security and fight willingly year-round? - ANSWER--GOOD:
'Guerilla' style, with raiding and use of stealth in wilderness terrain.
-BAD:
--Not well organized; individual emphasis
--Poor Security
--Poor winter operations
--Ferocious (but colonists were not blameless)
-Describe Patriot Principle of War (P of W) violations at Bunker Hill. What British P of W
violations allowed the Patriots to get away with those errors? - ANSWER-Patriots:
Security and unity of command
British: Maneuver and Surprise
-At Trenton and Princeton, what Principles did Washington show he could use well? Did
these US tactical victories have any strategic impact? - ANSWER-Washington used
surprise, maneuver, and offensive. The strategic impact of these battles included
reinvigorating the American cause, Washington retained an army, and it rallied
American "fence-sitters" and militia.
What was the French fleet's most important contribution to Washington's successful
siege at Yorktown (1761)? - ANSWER-French fleet blocked Navy access into
Chesapeake bay. French fleet's most important role: Cutting LOC.
-In the Niagara Front battles (1814-1815), did aggressive combat leaders like Winfield
Scott show that US Army regulars improved their ability to fight outside the US against
British regulars? - ANSWER-Yes, the US Army regulars were well trained and
disciplined. They fought the British to a standstill in conventional, linear tactics battles.
First time use of regular military instead of militia
First time outside US
-Describe Scott's conduct of administrative and diplomatic affairs after he took Mexico
City. Did he receive Mexican support and avert a wider war? - ANSWER-Scott created
administrative conditions and exploited diplomatic opportunities, which led the Mexicans
to accept money in return for ceding the land the US desired. This treaty averted a
wider war.
-Was the Anaconda Plan strategy increasingly effective in the Civil War? Was its
blockade was effective early in the war? Why? Did the Union Navy implement it quickly
- ANSWER-The Anaconda plan was increasingly effective throughout the war and it
, was set up quickly. Initially wasn't very effective but over time the union added about
670 ships to the blockade and it became very effective over time.
--Did Grant violate Security at Shiloh? Did he still win? High or low casualties? Did his
advance into the South accelerate or decelerate? - ANSWER-Grant and his army
became overconfident, led to poor union security, and enabled a rebel surprise attack.
Grant Won, but his losses were high and his advance into the south stalled. The union
offensive slowed for the rest of the year.
--So then when Bragg went north into Kentucky, did he have the Legitimacy to secure
Kentuckians support? Did that issue help end his campaign? - ANSWER-No, Bragg
could not maintain confederate legal, political, and moral authority in Kentucky. He felt
compelled to retreat due to weaker than expected local support, poor supplies, and a
costly stalemated battle at perryville with a bigger union army.
-Later in the war, did Grant's strategic plans envision negotiations or total war? Respect
for southern property? Did his strategy require short-term sequential offensives, or
coordinated, continuous campaigns? - ANSWER-Grant's strategic plans envisioned
"hard total war to break will" which included the destruction of railroads, devastating
resources, southerner's food and other property. Destroy everything that assisted rebel
war effort.
Grants strategy required coordinated continuous campaigns. He planned to proceed
simultaneously and overstress the confederacy's defenses. (BDD)
-In the Shenandoah Valley and in the March to the Sea, did Sheridan and Sherman
destroy items that assisted the Rebel war effort? - ANSWER-Sherman's March to the
Sea and Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley operations destroyed items that assisted the
Rebel war effort. (BDD)
THE WESTERN INDIAN WARS 5 - Would these different environments create different
tactical challenges? - ANSWER-Comanche: South Plains - Mobil forces
Modoc: Lava beds Maze - Infantry
Apache: South west hot desert & Rugged Mountains - mobil forces, mule pack trains
-Did the Army use campaigns into winter to win the South Plains and Sioux Wars? Did
the US Army avoid using Indian allies in the Apache Wars? Were Apache Scouts
always unreliable? - ANSWER-Recall from Lesson 2 that the Army had done something
similar against the Seminoles, but summer was the tough season in that war. In the
South Plains and against the Sioux in the North Plains, it was the winter. The Plains
Indians would gather what sustenance they could before winter arrived. Army
campaigns that went on into winter took those resources and forced the Indians to
return to the reservation. Further FYI items:
--Page 343 says little about what the Army did against the Sioux and Cheyenne after
Custer's Little Big Horn defeat in late June 1876, but it at least implies the Army
maintained pressure. Indeed, the Army was relentless as it continued operations
through a hot summer, through the dead of winter, and into the next spring. Mackenzie
GRADED A+
-Native-Americans' Warfighting Style. Did the Native-Americans use stealthy tactics?
Did they have good security and fight willingly year-round? - ANSWER--GOOD:
'Guerilla' style, with raiding and use of stealth in wilderness terrain.
-BAD:
--Not well organized; individual emphasis
--Poor Security
--Poor winter operations
--Ferocious (but colonists were not blameless)
-Describe Patriot Principle of War (P of W) violations at Bunker Hill. What British P of W
violations allowed the Patriots to get away with those errors? - ANSWER-Patriots:
Security and unity of command
British: Maneuver and Surprise
-At Trenton and Princeton, what Principles did Washington show he could use well? Did
these US tactical victories have any strategic impact? - ANSWER-Washington used
surprise, maneuver, and offensive. The strategic impact of these battles included
reinvigorating the American cause, Washington retained an army, and it rallied
American "fence-sitters" and militia.
What was the French fleet's most important contribution to Washington's successful
siege at Yorktown (1761)? - ANSWER-French fleet blocked Navy access into
Chesapeake bay. French fleet's most important role: Cutting LOC.
-In the Niagara Front battles (1814-1815), did aggressive combat leaders like Winfield
Scott show that US Army regulars improved their ability to fight outside the US against
British regulars? - ANSWER-Yes, the US Army regulars were well trained and
disciplined. They fought the British to a standstill in conventional, linear tactics battles.
First time use of regular military instead of militia
First time outside US
-Describe Scott's conduct of administrative and diplomatic affairs after he took Mexico
City. Did he receive Mexican support and avert a wider war? - ANSWER-Scott created
administrative conditions and exploited diplomatic opportunities, which led the Mexicans
to accept money in return for ceding the land the US desired. This treaty averted a
wider war.
-Was the Anaconda Plan strategy increasingly effective in the Civil War? Was its
blockade was effective early in the war? Why? Did the Union Navy implement it quickly
- ANSWER-The Anaconda plan was increasingly effective throughout the war and it
, was set up quickly. Initially wasn't very effective but over time the union added about
670 ships to the blockade and it became very effective over time.
--Did Grant violate Security at Shiloh? Did he still win? High or low casualties? Did his
advance into the South accelerate or decelerate? - ANSWER-Grant and his army
became overconfident, led to poor union security, and enabled a rebel surprise attack.
Grant Won, but his losses were high and his advance into the south stalled. The union
offensive slowed for the rest of the year.
--So then when Bragg went north into Kentucky, did he have the Legitimacy to secure
Kentuckians support? Did that issue help end his campaign? - ANSWER-No, Bragg
could not maintain confederate legal, political, and moral authority in Kentucky. He felt
compelled to retreat due to weaker than expected local support, poor supplies, and a
costly stalemated battle at perryville with a bigger union army.
-Later in the war, did Grant's strategic plans envision negotiations or total war? Respect
for southern property? Did his strategy require short-term sequential offensives, or
coordinated, continuous campaigns? - ANSWER-Grant's strategic plans envisioned
"hard total war to break will" which included the destruction of railroads, devastating
resources, southerner's food and other property. Destroy everything that assisted rebel
war effort.
Grants strategy required coordinated continuous campaigns. He planned to proceed
simultaneously and overstress the confederacy's defenses. (BDD)
-In the Shenandoah Valley and in the March to the Sea, did Sheridan and Sherman
destroy items that assisted the Rebel war effort? - ANSWER-Sherman's March to the
Sea and Sheridan's Shenandoah Valley operations destroyed items that assisted the
Rebel war effort. (BDD)
THE WESTERN INDIAN WARS 5 - Would these different environments create different
tactical challenges? - ANSWER-Comanche: South Plains - Mobil forces
Modoc: Lava beds Maze - Infantry
Apache: South west hot desert & Rugged Mountains - mobil forces, mule pack trains
-Did the Army use campaigns into winter to win the South Plains and Sioux Wars? Did
the US Army avoid using Indian allies in the Apache Wars? Were Apache Scouts
always unreliable? - ANSWER-Recall from Lesson 2 that the Army had done something
similar against the Seminoles, but summer was the tough season in that war. In the
South Plains and against the Sioux in the North Plains, it was the winter. The Plains
Indians would gather what sustenance they could before winter arrived. Army
campaigns that went on into winter took those resources and forced the Indians to
return to the reservation. Further FYI items:
--Page 343 says little about what the Army did against the Sioux and Cheyenne after
Custer's Little Big Horn defeat in late June 1876, but it at least implies the Army
maintained pressure. Indeed, the Army was relentless as it continued operations
through a hot summer, through the dead of winter, and into the next spring. Mackenzie
