“No plan of operations extends with any certainty beyond the first encounter with the main enemy forces.”

Helmuth von Moltke, Prussian field marshal and Chief of the Prussian General Staff, wrote this in 1871 reflecting on military strategy. This observation about the limits of planning in the face of uncertain contact with adversaries evolved into the widely cited modern version: “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” Von Moltke’s insight predates modern agile methodology by over a century, yet captures the same fundamental truth: in complex, uncertain environments, rigid adherence to predetermined plans fails because reality diverges from expectations once execution begins.

Helmuth von Moltke, “Über Strategie” (1871), in: Militärische Werke, Band 2, Teil 2, Mittler & Sohn Berlin 1900, S. 291 | Quote Investigator Analysis