# Definite difference between "tactics" and "strategy"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 3, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741 "2003-03-03T10:32:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/2bfe46/32.png) [@Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xavier)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/1 "2003-03-03T10:32:47Z")
I always thought that tactics were a short-term endevour, whereas strategy was more for long-term planning. However, I never really understood the difference between tactics and strategy… aren’t they just the same thing? What **is** the difference between strategy and tactics? ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/2 "2003-03-03T10:44:07Z")
You have the definition correct. Are you a chess player? Because I can use that as an example. A short combination such as a pin or fork is a tactic. Whereas launching a K-side attack because you have greater control over the centre is a strategy. 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qc5? 4. d4 Qb6? 5. Nd5 Qc6?? 6. Bb5! is a tactic. ---
**Author:** ![Doc\_Nickel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@Doc\_Nickel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Nickel)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/3 "2003-03-03T11:13:34Z")
Soldiers use tactics. Generals use strategy. That’s not flippant- the soldier goes in and does the dirty work, using tactics. His tactical situation is to kill the other guy without being killed. Generals use masses of soldiers to execute a strategy- this Division cuts of their retreat, that Division harries their right flank. If this Division folds and allows the enemy an escape route, the general must alter his strategy to compensate. The soldier, assuming he is still effectively killing, need not alter his tactics. ---
**Author:** ![Doc\_Nickel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@Doc\_Nickel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doc_Nickel)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/4 "2003-03-03T11:18:43Z")
Soldiers use tactics. Generals use strategy. That’s not flippant- the soldier goes in and does the dirty work, using tactics. His tactical situation is to kill the other guy without being killed. Generals use masses of soldiers to execute a strategy- this Division cuts of their retreat, that Division harries their right flank. If this Division folds and allows the enemy an escape route, the general must alter his strategy to compensate. The soldier, assuming he is still effectively killing, need not alter his tactics. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/5 "2003-03-03T11:44:23Z")
Strategy is \*what \* you plan to do. Tactics is _how_ you plan to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/6 "2003-03-03T12:25:23Z")
From my own work (pricing), we distinguish tactics from strategy. An ‘Announcement Pricer’ works with management to decide general pricing strategy, the overall rules and techniques used to price products and services in the market. A ‘Transaction Pricer’ uses those rules on a case by case basis to deliver the best possible price to an individual customer, tactics. So, strategy is your long term plan, and tactics are what you do in situations in order to acheive your strategic goal. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/7 "2003-03-03T13:18:02Z")
If I may offer a crude definition supplied to me by someone who should know: _Strategy_ is employed by taking a woman out to dinner, having a violinist serenade the table, bringing her home for a nightcap and then gently guiding her into bed. _Tactics_ is what you employ when you get her there. ---
**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/8 "2003-03-03T13:33:27Z")
Strategy : tactics :: ends : means ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/9 "2003-03-03T14:48:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sofa King \* > \*\*If I may offer a crude definition supplied to me by someone who should know: > > _Strategy_ is employed by taking a woman out to dinner, having a violinist serenade the table, bringing her home for a nightcap and then gently guiding her into bed. > > _Tactics_ is what you employ when you get her there. \*\* Actually I disagree, the strategy (overall plan) would be to get the woman home for a little late night queenside castling. The tactics for doing so would/could include dinner, violin, nightcap, showing her your credit report, renting a porsche instead of showing up in the 4 door Volkswagen rabbit deisel, etc. Once you had her in bed the strategy might be, rock her world so she wants to come back. The tactics employed for making her happy would be up to the tools, talent, and imagination of the soldier in question. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/10 "2003-03-03T16:02:15Z")
Oversimplifying Clausewitz: Strategy is the determination of what battles you need to fight and win in order to be victorious in a war. Tactics are the actions you take in order to win a specific battle. Additionally, saying “strategy:tactics:🔚means” is oversimplifying the oversimplification. Tactics are the means to achieve the desired end of victory in battle. The battle becomes the means to achieve the desired end of victory in war. Strategy, while the end of tactical means, is not an end in and of itself. ---
**Author:** ![TaxGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@TaxGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TaxGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/11 "2003-03-03T16:10:07Z")
Well, FWIW I think the chess definition of strategy and tactics differs from what some of the other posters are talking about in a non-chess setting. That is, I don’t think that most chess players would say that tactics are the individual moves that are part of an overall strategy. This definition kind of renders “tactics” meaningless because as long as you have an overall strategy then whatever you are doing to achieve it is tactical. Rather, to me any given move has a certain degree of tactical or strategic significance; and if one move has both, the more the better. So, “tactics” doesn’t necessarily mean the individual moves that make up a strategy; one could implement a strategy without using any tactics at all. I don’t think I’m really explaining this very well at all. Let’s say white does a neat little knight fork that enables him to win the exchange. Well, that was neat bit of tactics that may help him down the road because of the material advantage, but it could be the case that the knight move wasn’t really party of the overall strategy (of queendside expansion, control of the center, etc.). Therefore, I see a tactical move as being a slight diversion from the main strategy that garners other advantages (e.g., material, initiative) of a more immediate nature than does strategy. The strategy is necessary, however, to make the more immediate benefit of a bit of tactics pay off. ---
**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/12 "2003-03-03T16:41:37Z")
I believe that much of the confusion in providing examples come from the fact that the terms strategy and tactics can apply differently as needs require. What is strategy to the soldier is tactics for the general. For example: Government: Strategy = preserve peace. Tactic = diplomacy, foreign aid, intervention. Military General: Strategy = government objective and broad stroke goals such as armored blitz or maintaining air superiority. Tactics = secure border area and penetrate toward capital. Military Company: Strategy = secure border area and penetrate toward capital. Tactic = take border city. Infantry Unit: Strategy = take border city. Tactic = move forward in fire groups securing overlapping fields of fire. Infantryman: Strategy = move forward in fire groups securing overlapping fields of fire. Tactic = run, duck, shoot. This differs significantly from **Doc Nickel** ’s definition, but I agree with **Casey1505** ’s broad definition. I think everyone uses both strategy and tactics, but specific examples of each depend on individual role and perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/13 "2003-03-03T16:44:56Z")
Strategies are plans. Tactics are reactions to someone else’s plans. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/14 "2003-03-03T18:02:14Z")
Interesting comments on Chess, tactics, strategy, and Go. [http://newyork.villageworld.com/users/bradleym/Compare.html](http://newyork.villageworld.com/users/bradleym/Compare.html) ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/15 "2003-03-03T21:29:38Z")
**Erislover** , your link is obviously biased towards Go. Take, for one example, the following: > [@](#): > > [Chess]The Nature of Play Primarily tactical, with only a modest strategic component. > > The Nature Of The Opening Primarily a struggle for development, center control, and maneuvering space, with subsidiary objectives of pawn structure, king safety, and material. > > The Nature Of The Middle Game Mainly tactical piece maneuvering to attempt to attain a winning material advantage or to mount a successful mating attack, often involving real and/or pseudo sacrifices, but also with strategic elements involving piece mobility, center control and pawn structure. So this author states in one breath that development (necessary for piece mobility), center control, and pawn structure are tactical, but in the next breath states that those are strategic elements. Don’t wish to contradict the great masters who have opined otherwise, but without a strategy you are not going to win many chess games. You have to have a strategy to determine the moves (tactics) you make. The ultimate strategy is, obviously, to checkmate your opponent, but you need an overall plan to determine how you plan to do this (strategy). However, you must be mindful of all the tactical complications that develop as you attempt to complete your strategy. An opening system is a series of moves, but the opening system you use depends upon your strategy to win. For example, Black’s strategy in the Sicilian Defence is to acquire the half-open c-file. How he or she accomplishes this involves tactics. Strategy v. tactics in military arenas is similar. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/16 "2003-03-03T21:47:43Z")
Tactics - what you use to win battles. Strategy - what you use to win wars. ---
**Author:** ![micco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f8ce5/32.png) [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/17 "2003-03-03T22:05:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bookkeeper \* > \*\*Tactics - what you use to win battles. Strategy - what you use to win wars. \*\* That’s a gross oversimplification and, IMO, incorrect in its simplicity. If you look at strict definitions of the two words, strategy can be defined as “devising plans toward a goal” and tactics can be defined as “small scale actions serving a larger purpose”. The two are relative by their very definition. In some cases, an entire war might be a mere tactic in a larger plan (e.g. a political maneuver for power). In other cases, you’d devise a complex strategy for a tiny part of a single battle, and then come up with tactics to implement that strategy. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2003, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/18 "2003-03-03T22:52:53Z")
Strategy: a statement of your medium-to-long term aims, and the broad details of how you intend to achieve them. Tactics: a stated sequence of detailed steps intended to fulfill the strategy, or a stated component of it. Example. Strategy: We will establish X as the dominent prestige perfume brand for women aged 25-40 in the mid-West, with new packaging and promotion based on fresh market research and field testing. Tactics: (1) Market research. (a) Issue ITT to research companies with deadline for response. (b) Shortlist research companies and invite to give live presentations/pitches. © Choose research firm. (d) Prepare brief for research firm with deadline for completion. (e) Schedule meeting for handover of research results to designers. (2) Design. (a) Prepare brief based on research. (b) Invite departmental heads to provide input to design firm. © Schedule first presentation of potential designs. Etc. etc. Strategy: where we think we’re going. Tactics: how we think we’re going to get there. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/19 "2003-03-04T01:37:55Z")
**Ianzin** has it. Succintly put, strategy is the plan; tactics is the execution of the plan. ---
**Author:** ![ChalkPit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@ChalkPit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChalkPit)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2003, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741/20 "2003-03-04T01:38:06Z")
It’s all a question of scale, be it in time or space. Strategy is longer term plans covering a large area, wider scope. The WWII bombing offensive against German cities is a classic example. Doenitz’s submarine effort against allied shipping, another. Tactics is short term smaller scale stuff. To use the above exapmles, in the former case tactics would be the organization of a particular bombing raid, use of diversionary raids, fake attack paths, distribution of covering night fighters, use of available countermeasures/jamming en route to target etc. In the latter example, tactics would be the U-boats coordinating and attacking as a wolfpack, and the allies attacking said U-boats with convoy escort groups… My two-penneth [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/definite-difference-between-tactics-and-strategy/158741.md?page=2)