News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1915-04-14
STRATEGY IN WAR
Retreats to Lure the Enemy From
His Base Of Supplies.
KNOWN AS FABIAN TACTICS.
Methods That Have Been Used by
Warriors Since Long Before the
Christian Era - George Washington
Was Called the American Fabius.

Warriors Since Long Before the
Christian Era - George Washington
Was Called the American Fabius.
After the great war in Europe had
broken loose in the summer Of 1914
and the allies fell back from their first
line In northern France to the Marine a
good deal was said and written of ia
bian tactics" and when the Germans
/ fell back from the line Of the Marine
! to the Aisne more was said of "Fa-
bian tactic" In this country when
Washington and the heroic Continental
army fell back before the English in
superior force and of superior equip
ment and perhaps superior discipline,
his tactics were called "Fabian." In
fact General George Washington was
called and by historical writers Is still
referred to as ''the American Fabius."
1t Is probably true that many Amer
leans long parted from their school
books have forgotten about Fahius,
even though whenever an army makes
an orderly retreat for the purpose Of
gaining time or reaching a more favor
able position they speak fuently Of
"Fabian tactics" 1t is phrase that
comes tIppingly off the tongue
Fabius, as might easily be guessed
from his name, was a Roman. He
commanded the legions of Rome
against the powers of Carthage 200
years before the Christian era. The
tactics which came to be called after
Fabius were no doubt employed cen
turtles before Rome was born. Fabian
tactics without doubt have been used
ever since bodies of men made war,
but it may be that Fabius so refined
or systematized those tactics that it is
just and worthy they bear his name
Fabius in PIT B. c.. stood opposite
to the hosts or hordes Of Carthagin-
ians under the brilliant leadership of
Hannibal. In battle before Fabius
MaXimus was called to the supreme
command Of the Roman troops in the
field the Carthaginians had been vic
torious. Fabius, profiting by what
had befallen his predecessors in COM
mand, avoided a pitched battle in the
open and retreated fighting as he fell |
back, holding off the enemy with !
what are now described as rear guard |
actions. Drawing the enemy farther |
and farther from base or the sources |
Of supplies, wearying their troops
more than he wearied his own and
delaying a battle until he reached
ground where his position would give |
him great Advantage position
against superior numbers-where the
loss in men and morale of the assail-
ants must be great and where at
the proper moment the counterstroke
could be delivered with high promise
of success, the tactics of Fabius won.
In some ways the phrase Fabian
tactics" has been diverted from Its
original and proper significance and
is made to comprehend any tactics of
a particularly shrewd or ''foxy" ma
ture. In this connection it has been
said that Napoleon employed Fabian
tactics" with brilliant success at Aus
terlitz. The combined Austrian and
Russian armies greatly extended their
line in an effort to turn the right
flank of the French army and cut his
1t seemed as though
this move would succeed, for Napoleon
permitted it to develop without seri-
BUS resistance Then he suddenly con-
centrated his whole strength at the
center, with the exception Of portion
If Bernadotte's corps, which he left to
leal with the Austrian turning force,
md burst through the line, destroying
)ne wing of the Austrian army as 1t
'etreated.
Historians of Rome deal at consid-
,rable length with a family called the
Fabii. 1t is narrated that this ancient
md renowned family undertook the
luty of defending Roman territory
lgainst incursions by the Valentines
nd for this purpose established them
elves at place on the Cremara river.
The Fabii were drawn into ambush
nd were all killed. The date of that
vent is given as r. C. All.
A boy of the family Fabii had been ,
eft in Rome, and he became the sec
nd founder of the family. Fabius ,
lXimus, who won his laurels and his I
purs in the second Punic war, was ,
escended from that boy, and there
vas another famous member of the
amily whose name was Fabius Pictor, {
Tho wrote history of Rome and who I
J often referred to as the earliest Ro- $
IAN MISUNDERSTANDING Star. !