There is a long historical precedent of great powers utilizing surrogate forces as an economy of force measure in the pursuit of their objectives. The lessons learned during the ideological brush fire conflicts of the Cold War are relevant to the...
In 1954 the French Armed Forces began a campaign in Algeria against the insurgent Front de Liberation Nationale (FLN) which had started a bloody uprising against French sovereignty. Initially, the French military did not have a viable...
In 2009, conflict, violence and the fear of governmental persecution caused over forty-three million people worldwide, equivalent to the population of Canada, to leave their homes and seek safety elsewhere. Twenty-seven million displaced within...
Perhaps one of the most controversial theories proposed by the l9th century military theorist and historian, Carl von Clausewitz, was the proposition that the defense, not the offense, was the stronger form of war. This is the second of two...
The most notorious period of the French-Algerian War was the Battle of Algiers. The war was brought on by many developments beginning with the original French invasion in 1830 and subsequent annexation of Algeria as part of the French empire....
The need for a Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance (LAAR) aircraft in counterinsurgency (COIN) is a topic that will often be debated as the conflict in Afghanistan continues and the United States Air Force (USAF) looks at how it can use airpower to...
This monograph examines the French experience in Algeria (1954-1962) and the Israeli experience in Lebanon (1982) in order to determine how operational forces can overcome the operational advantages an adversary derives from border sanctuaries in...
The Department of the Army decided to re-structure the combat divisions into modular, brigade units in order to better address the difficulty inherent in fighting a long war on terrorism, while simultaneously providing combat units to OIF and OEF...
This paper explores the question: “Is it important for military professionals to take time out of their busy schedules to study military history?” The examples provided in support of military professionals studying military history will show...
Disrupting an insurgent's access to sanctuary and safe-haven is a critical aspect of operational planning for counterinsurgent forces. By denying an insurgent's access to safe-havens early in the conflict, the counterinsurgent will gain a marked...
Founded in 1954, the WEU soon lapsed into obscurity in the shadow of NATO. In 1984 it was reactivated. The WEU is the only Western European organization mandated to treat security problems outside NATO. This study uses the US Command and General...
This monograph examines the question of whether the United States Air Force (USAF) is too reliant upon technological asymmetry. It examines four possible paths to over-reliance and then surveys Air Force doctrine and air power theory. The study...
This monograph analyzes corps aviation brigade doctrine, and its supporting organization, equipment, and control arrangements, to determine if it enables the aviation brigade to conduct successful deep operations. Doctrine is the centerpiece of...
This monograph discusses offensive indirect fire tactics and their relationship to extreme fear responses. It examines the nature and causes of a specific, immediate, and debilitating fear response called the Combat Stress Reaction (CSR)....
This monograph examines the ability of a commander to gain a tactical advantage by taking actions which increase enemy stress levels. The psychological dimensions of the modern battlefield are examined to determine if factors exist which can be...
Throughout history the use of fixed permanent fortifications has waxed and waned depending on the technology and warfare of the day. Several of the forward looking military writers have predicted an increase in the use of fixed permanent...
This monograph examines the usefulness of defensive culmination to the operational level planner. A working definition of the theoretical concept is advanced and then examined against the backdrops of historical campaigns, current doctrine, and...
The application of the maneuver warfare theory as tactical doctrine within the U.S. Marine Corps has been a contentious issue for several years. The Marines adopted this theory for its tactical doctrine in 1988. The purpose of this monograph is to...
Research Problem. Joint doctrine does not address the conflict between how the United States Army and the Unified Commanders in Chief (CINCs) prefer to organize ground forces in a theater of operations. The Army prefers a subordinate land component...
In both historical and contemporary practice of operational art the concept of balance appears to be of significant consideration. We are instructed in FM 100-5, for instance, to "" ... throw the enemy off balance .... "" (p , 27) The histories of...