Measuring the Net Composite Contribution of all Factors to Combat Effectiveness: A Novel Method Based on Two-Dimensional Frontline Advancement Acceleration

Military researchers have long been interested in the contributing factors to combat effectiveness (CFCE), because such factors underlie observed changes in combat effectiveness (CE) over time. This paper proposes a novel method to measure CFCE by extending the Two-Dimensional Frontline Advancement Rate (TFR) framework to Two-Dimensional Frontline Advancement Acceleration (TFA). The resulting CFCE is defined as a composite, outcome-centered metric that summarizes the integrated net effect of all factors—observed or unobserved—that shape frontline and territorial-control dynamics, rather than attributing outcomes to any single cause. Importantly, this study is intended to present reproducible measurement rules and computational mechanisms; it is not designed for historical adjudication or fine-grained reconstruction. The metric system is therefore more suitable for computer-driven, conceptualized and idealized war simulations and for macro-level situational description. To demonstrate operability under different data conditions and acquisition frequencies, we apply the framework to three wars with relatively well-documented spatial information: the “Miracle of the Marne” in World War I (Aug–Sep 1914); the first phase of the Korean War (Jun 1950–Apr 1951); and the first year of the Russo–Ukrainian War (Feb 2022–Feb 2023). The demonstrations show how map-based inputs can be translated into window-level CE/CFCE estimates and, when high-frequency inputs are available, interpretable CFCE time series for cross-case comparison and macro-level assessment.