EXAMPLES.--_Diversion._--Our raid on Washington in 1815. Landing force, about 4,000 men. Object, according to official instructions, "a diversion on the coasts of United States of America in favour of the army employed in the defence of Canada"; _i.e._, the intention was negative--preventative--defensive.
2. _Eccentric Attack._--Operations against New Orleans in 1815. Intended force 15,000 to 20,000 men. Object, "to obtain command of embouchure of the Mississippi, and, secondly, to occupy some important and valuable possession, by the restoration of which the conditions of peace might be improved, &c."; _i.e._, the intention was positive--to acquire. Compare Rochefort Expedition (diversion) and Belleisle (eccentric attack) in the Seven Years War.
Note 2.--This distinction gives a threefold classification of combined expeditions, as used by Elizabethan strategists.
Raids = Diversions. Incursions = Eccentric attacks. Invasions = True direct offence.
Compare these with Sir John Ardagh's classification (Report of Royal Commission on Reserve Forces, 1904):--
"Raids," not exceeding 10,000 men. "Small expeditions," not exceeding 50,000 men. "Dangerous invasion," not exceeding 150,000 men.
From the nature of the ulterior object we get an important classification of wars, according to whether such object is _limited_ or _unlimited_.
(1) War with _limited object_ ("limited war") is where we merely seek to take from the enemy some particular part of his possessions, or interests; _e.g._, Spanish-American War, where the object was the liberation of Cuba.
(2) _War with an unlimited object_ is where we seek to overthrow the enemy completely, so that to save himself from destruction he must agree to do our will (become subservient); _e.g._, Franco-German War.
NOTE.--Ulterior objects are not necessarily the same in their nature as the immediate (primary or secondary) objects which lead up to them; _e.g._, ulterior objects may be offensive, while one or more of the immediate objects may be defensive, and _vice versâ_.
EXAMPLE 1.--Japanese position in the late war. Ulterior object of the war (to drive Russians from Manchuria) was offensive (positive). Function or ulterior object of the fleet (to cover the invasion) was defensive (negative). Its primary object to effect this was to attack and destroy the Russian naval force. This was offensive (positive).