Concept in Definition ABC

In Greece before the classical period, a general was appointed as the head of a military corps and this position was called stratego. The strategist was the military leader and, consequently, was responsible for organizing war actions as effectively as possible. Thus a ploy for the Greeks was the skill tactics of the strategist to win in a battle.

Stratagem is a term of military origin and refers to the complexity a tactic that the general must devise for his army to be victorious. In this sense, some students of military history and terminology consider that the stratagem is the art of using the force. We must take into account the military tactic must consider very diverse elements: the number of troops of the two opposing sides, the available armament, the field of action, planning the rear and the Vanguard, the supply of food and, in short, all the elements that take part directly or indirectly in a warlike confrontation.

The Stratagem Beyond the Realm of the Army

Although this term is part of the military tradition and culture, it should not be forgotten that the same concept is also used in other areas. In the activity politics the different formations have their stratagems to achieve victory or to weaken the rival. Something similar happens in the business world, because a company has to compete with others and in that competence you need to calculate your strengths and weaknesses.

The same happens in sports activity, in which two teams face each other and the coaches plan a way to face the game. At this point it is worth remembering a distinction between two very similar terms: strategy and ploy. Both have the same etymological origin. However, they do not have the same meaning, since strategy is the art of planning and stratagem is itself the element of cunning that is part of the overall strategy. Although both terms have a different nuance, in practice they are used synonymously.

Stratagem, an example of military terminology in everyday language

Without realizing it, we use terms whose etymological and historical origin lies in the military sphere. Stratagem is a good example of this phenomenon, but a few more are worth remembering. Thus, the concept of vanguard comes from the part of the army that goes ahead in a battle and the primitive idea of ​​truce refers to the moment of ceasefire typical of a confrontation between two armies. The military vocabulary applied to ordinary language is extensive: flank, ranch, kamikaze, blank or cadet. At the same time, there are a series of phrases that originate in military life and have ended up being part of the communication daily (touch target, be from the same fifth or stay in the square).

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