TIME

“That greatest of all advantages—TIME!”—Frederic the Great.

“Ask me for anything except—TIME.”—Napoleon.

“Time is the cradle of hope, the grave of ambition, the solitary counsel of the wise and the stern corrector of fools. Wisdom walks before it, opportunities with it and repentance behind it. He that hath made it his friend hath nothing to fear from his enemies, but he that hath made it his enemy hath little to hope even from his friends.”—Anon.

The absolute advantage of Time consists in being able to move while the adversary must remain stationary.

The conditioned advantage in Time i.e., the Initiative, consists in artificially restricting the adverse ability to move.

Advantage in Time is divided into two classes:

The Initiative treats of restrictions to the movements of an army, due to the necessity of supporting, covering or sustaining Points or corps d’armee, menaced with capture by adverse corps offensive.

The absolute advantage in Time is the ability to move, while the adverse army must remain immovable.

Whenever the right to move is unrestricted, any desired Piece may be moved to any desired Point.

But whenever the right to move is restricted it follows that the Piece desired cannot be moved; or, that if moved it cannot be moved to the desired Point; or, that a piece not desired, must be moved and usually to a Point not desired.

Such restrictions of the right to move, quickly produce fatal defects in the kindred Formation; and from the fact that such fatal defects in Formation can be produced by restricting the right to move, arises the inestimable value of the advantage in Time.

Perfection in Time is attained whenever the kindred army is able to move while the hostile army must remain stationary.

The object of the active or absolute advantage in Time always is to remain with the Initiative, or Passive Advantage in Time; which consists in operating by the movement made, such menaces, as compel the enemy: