Applying Three Decisionmaking Models to the Lakota Sioux Wars

Authors

Jacob Ivie
Bradley F. Podliska, Air Command and Staff College

Abstract

Examining the factors leading to the decisions made by Crazy Horse, Custer, and Reno through the lenses of expected utility, cybernetic, and poliheuristic decision strategies enables objectivity in analysis and hindsight. It also offers an example of how to study three different leaders, each of whom resolved uncertainty with their decisions, even if such decisions proved disastrous. Modern leaders can utilize these same tools to make sense of complexity and to apply a framework to analyze an opponent’s past decisions, compare the findings to the present situation, and then predict future courses of action.

Recommended Citation

Ivie, Jacob and Podliska, Bradley F. (2024) "Applying Three Decisionmaking Models to the Lakota Sioux Wars," Joint Force Quarterly: Vol. 112, Article 15.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/joint-force-quarterly/vol112/iss1/15