What was Grant's core military philosophy?
My philosophy was simple: to apply constant pressure and wear down the enemy. War is not about intricate maneuvers for their own sake; it is about destroying the enemy's ability to resist. This meant accepting losses, but always with the objective of inflicting greater losses on the foe. It was about choosing the ground and the method that allowed us to bring our superior resources to bear and to continue the fight until the objective was achieved. The 'art of war is simple enough' in its fundamental principle: bring your men to bear where they can do the most good, and hold them there until the work is done.
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