The essays, commentaries, and speeches which form this volume were presented at the Eleventh Military History Symposium at the United States Air Force Academy. Few events traumatize a nation more than losing a war. Defeat can bring down an empire, alter national boundaries, end sovereignty, and dramatically change a society's social structure. Failures are explained in many ways and are seldom of a singular nature. Their roots, however, can be traced to the planning for war. For this reason, no other peacetime activity should command more attention from military leaders and scholars than the...