The events of September 11, 2001, catapulted America’s military into two wars with others looming on the horizon. The type of warfare they are conducting is far different from what they had trained for the last quarter of a century. The enemy...
The Maoist Revolutionary model provides a template of a successful revolution. Both the Taliban and the Chinese underwent similar circumstances. Both movements formed as a result of failed states seeking ways to restore unity and order within their...
Ukrainian strategic policy decisions have a direct impact on US policy in Eastern Europe. Ukraine is often at the forefront of political tensions between the US, EU and Russia. The gas crisis of 2009 resulted in the cutoff of natural gas supplies...
In an era of persistent conflict, nations face the continuing challenges of terrorism, insurgency, and separatism. These complex challenges occur not only within the confines of the nation state but also in the international arena. This thesis...
The Rhodesian African Rifles overcame profoundly divisive racial and tribal differences among its members because a transcendent "regimental culture" superseded the disparate cultures of its individual soldiers and officers. The RAR's culture grew...
The Palestine Campaign of the First World War exhibited a fighting style that brought with it various challenges in mission command. While General Allenby, commanding the Allied Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF), gained several victories in the...
The Texas Rangers assumed many roles during the Mexican War (1846-1848), fighting in both the northern and central theaters. Along with frontier knowledge and combat experience, they also brought prejudices and they earned a reputation for...
In the wake of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, T.E. Lawrence's description of counterinsurgency (COIN) analogous to "eating soup with a knife," has new meaning in our contemporary military. It describes our kinetic conventional army (the knife)...
This monograph answers the question, "Can unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) supplant manned United States Army attack and reconnaissance helicopters in the conduct of future urban operations " and the answer is, "not completely. " The future of US...
The introduction of attack helicopters to the battlefield opened a new dimension for ground combat forces. This monograph examines history to identify those characteristics that make an arm effective in the shock role and to assess the modern...
With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, NATO member nations have begun reducing the size of their military forces. Therefore, NATO is faced with responding to crises situations with considerably smaller forces available. To...
This monograph identifies a void in the strategic planning process of the United States and proposes a modified national security decisionmaking and implementation structure to improve the ability the U.S. to integrate the elements of national...
The fundamental nature of warfare, adequately addressed by the current nine principles of war, has changed little over the centuries. However, a series of monumental changes in the international security environment over the past ten years have...
This monograph analyzes the 1982 war between the United Kingdom and Argentina over possession of the Falklands in regard to several of the foundations of military theory. It uses this recent campaign which combines air, land, and sea forces armed...
This monograph examines the practice of operational art from the perspective of the Kursk Campaign of July-October, 1943. The study begins by presenting the German and Russian campaign plans as examples of two different methods of achieving a...
When the Army transformed to a brigade centric force, ground forces gained the tactical capabilities and flexibility promised. What the Army lost was the role and purpose of the division. Administrative, training, and expeditionary task executed by...
In 742, a predominantly Turko-Mongolian steppe nomadic tribe known today as the Uyghurs migrated eastward from eastern Turkey towards the oases of modern-day Xinjiang province of China; they have remained there for the last 1,268 years. Throughout...
The topic of civil-military relations during the Mexican War resurfaces as an interesting historical study in the aftermath of President Obama's recent decision to relieve General McChrystal of command in Afghanistan. This review of U.S....
The U.S. Army underwent significant doctrinal changes in the years following the Vietnam War. The 1976 edition of Field Manual (FM) 100-5, championed by General William DePuy, attempted to guide the Army's actions necessary to defeat the Soviet...
Using military force against an enemy to punish, avenge a wrong, as retribution is a timeless cause of armed conflict. There are many examples throughout history of successful punitive operations. Analyzing historical punitive expeditions for the...