MARSHAL LOUIS N. DAVOUT AND THE ART OF COMMAND A ...

The art of war on land is an art of genius, of inspiration. A general never knows anything with certainty, never sees the enemy clearly and never positively knows where he is. It is by the eyes of the mind, by reasoning over the whole, by a species of inspiration that the general sees, knows and judges.2 In essence it is a vision of how the battle will unfold, both from the side of the enemy and ones own side. Coup d'oeil is a vision of not only what will take place immediately but a vision that extends throughout the battle or even throughout the campaign. In other words the ability to take in the military situation at a glance and then decide what actions to take. Furthermore it is the ability to recognize the essentials and ignoring all else. It is not some singular entity that few are born with but an attribute that can be learned and developed. The key to coup d'oeil is knowing the enemy, knowing where he is, and knowing what he is going to do. It includes a vision of one's own movements and how the enemy will react to them. An important aspect is not only the ability to gather intelligence on the enemy but the skill to assimilate this information and act. Again it reflects back to vision and the importance of taking in the whole situation and deciding what is significant and that which is not. Further defined, coup d'oeil is the ability to see the grand detail and not get bogged down in the minute, unimportant details. Marshal De Saxe pointed out that,