A Prussian general and military theorist, Carl Von Clausewitz, introduced maneuver warfare to the world in his book On War. He was a combat veteran, and was interested in studying the art and science of war, in particular, the campaigns fought by Frederick the Great and Napoleon. Both of these men took their smaller armies and were able to carry out successful campaigns against their opponents through maneuvering.

Maneuver warfare advocates that strategic movement can bring about the defeat of an opposing force more efficiently than by simply contacting and destroying enemy forces until they can no longer fight. 

There are six main elements of maneuver warfare. Each of them is explained in the following sections.