MCDP 1 governs the U.S. Marine Corps philosophy of warfighting and provides the basis for how Marines fight and prepare to fight.
View MCDP 1 on armypubs.army.mil
MCDP 1 examines the nature and theory of war, preparation for war, and the conduct of war, including maneuver warfare, mission tactics, and combined arms. It provides broad guidance through concepts and values rather than specific techniques or procedures and requires judgment in application.
Applies to: Experience has shown that the warfighting philosophy described on these pages applies far beyond the officer corps.
War is a violent clash of interests between or among organized groups characterized by the use of military force. (paragraph 1)
The essence of war is a violent struggle between two hostile, independent, and irreconcilable wills, each trying to impose itself on the other. (paragraph 1)
Military doctrine cannot be allowed to stagnate, especially an adaptive doctrine like maneuver warfare. (paragraph 2)
War is fundamentally an interactive social process. (paragraph 1)