Mario Puzo - Godfather - Tactics and Strategy

Most of us at some or other point in our lives, either while reading or while at work would have heard about the two terms 'Tactics' and 'Strategy'. I had come across these terms during my management studies. And I came across the terms again when I was reading 'Godfather' by Mario Puzo. In the post below, I am sharing excerpts from the novel that show the difference between "tactics" and "strategy".

In the scene below, Sonny the elder son of Don massacres all the other Don "families" in a retaliation fight.
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Perhaps it was the stalemate that made Sonny Corleone embark on the bloody course of attrition that ended in his own death. Perhaps it was his dark violent nature given full rein. In any case, that spring and summer he mounted senseless raids on enemy auxiliaries. Tattaglia Family pimps were shot to death in Harlem, dock goons were massacred. This slaughter was senseless because it could not affect the outcome of the war. Sonny was a brilliant tactician and won his brilliant victories. But what was needed was the strategical genius of Don Corleone. The whole thing degenerated into such a deadly guerrilla war that both sides found themselves losing a great deal of revenue and lives to no purpose. The Corleone Family was finally forced to close down some of its most profitable bookmaking stations.

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The war that Sonny wages was triggered out of pure rage. He did not think about the long term implication of what he is doing - his thoughts and actions were short termed and his victories were short termed too. The result of this was that in the end he himself got killed and nothing good was gained out of this war. Sonny was good at executing "tactics" but he lost out on the long term focus.

Don on the other hand, was a strategical genius. He would have a long term plan or a strategy in mind, and use all his contacts, resources to realize the long term vision. This strategy would be executed as one or more "short term plans" (  tactics ) to achieve specific goals.

The paragraph below talks about Don's "strategical" genius. Don, who had been badly hurt, rises from his hospital bed and proposes peace with the five families that were at war as shown in the paragraph above.

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"Thank God my health has been restored and maybe I can help set this affair aright. Perhaps my son was too rash, too headstrong, I don't say no to that. .....I'm willing to make the peace," he said. "Tattaglia has lost a son, I have lost a son. We are quits. What would the world come to if people kept carrying grudges against all reason? That has been the cross of Sicily, where men are so busy with vendettas they have no time to earn bread for their families. It's foolishness. So I say now, let things be as they were before. I have not taken any steps to learn who betrayed and killed my son. Given peace, I will not do so. I have a son who cannot come home and I must receive assurances that when I arrange matters so that he can return safely that there will be no interference, no danger from the authorities. Once that's settled maybe we can talk about other matters that interest us and do ourselves, all of us, a profitable service today." Corleone gestured expressively, submissively, with his hands. "That is all I want."
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This move from the Don, was part of his long term plan to ensure his younger son's, Michael( who is on the run for killing a goon who attempted the Don's murder ) return. Once Michael does return, he takes control over the family business and brings back the Don's family in power.

As shown above, the Don did not mind a short term failure( as shown here by his submission to the other Don families ) in return for a longer term success. That showed Don's "strategical genius".