WARYOUR NAME

HERE

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Reality of Warfare War will happen…

At the worst possible time In the worst possible place With the worst possible enemy

YOUR job is to wage war…

… better than the enemy

Professional Responsibility

Learn HOW we wage war in ALL of its forms – Against ANY/ALL of our enemies

“Being a warrior is not an AFSC…it’s a condition of the heart!!!” – Gen Jumper

Overview Enduring Truths of War

Definition of War

Basic Themes of War

Viewpoints on War

Factors Dominating War

Elements of War

An instrument of national policy

A complex and chaotic human endeavor

A clash of opposing wills

Enduring Truths of War

“War is nothing but a duel on an extensive scale… Each strives

by physical force to compel the other to submit to his will… War therefore is an act of

violence to compel our opponent to do our will.”

– Carl von Clausewitz

Definition of War

Basic Themes of War

Politics and violence are intertwined

War is policy…

… “that fights battles instead of

writing notes”

War is the continuation of politics with the

addition of other means

“War is an instrument of national policy”

War is a last resort of policy

We exhaust diplomatic efforts!

When military engages, the political

process doesn’t stop

Bottom line: Success in war

can only be measured by

whether political objectives are achieved

National Policy Through War

Sir Liddel Hart

Wage war in a civilized manner

Law of Armed Conflict

Geneva & Hague Conventions

Rules of Engagement (ROEs)

Leave the combat zone better than when we entered it…

… Failure leads to unstable peace!

Better State of Peace

Interim Summary Enduring Truths of War

Definition of War

Basic Themes of War

Viewpoints on War

Factors Dominating War

Elements of War

Realism

Holy War

Pacifism

Just War Theory (JWT)

Viewpoints on War

Wars are clashes of power and interest

Moral constraints should never be put above a nation’s self-interest

Focuses on military necessity, where all methods can or should be used to achieve victory: Burning of Atlanta in Civil War

Bombing civilian centers in WWII

Realism

Adolf Hitler

Wars aren’t merely human affairs:

Divine instruments of judgment

Authorized by God

God responsible for outcome

Cosmic battle between Good

and Evil

Holy War

“Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already

devoid of stars.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Opposes war as a means of settling disputes and advocates use of arbitration, surrender, or even migrationSpectrum ranges:Avoidance of war at all costs War only as a last resort

Pacifism

Mahatma Gandhi

Killing is morally unacceptable…Determine when war is morally justified and define actions that are permissible

Focuses on: Protection of non-combatants Wage war by clearly defined rules

Bottom line: Fight for a just cause and employ just means

Just War Theory

St. Thomas Aquinas

Interim Summary Enduring Truths of War

Definition of War

Basic Themes of War

Viewpoints on War

Factors Dominating War

Elements of War

“War is a complex and chaotic human

endeavor”

Fog

Friction

Chance

Factors Dominating War

Fog Difficulty to see and understand what’s

happening in battle Once a literal “FOG” Now more figuratively:

Too much happening Misinformation Conflicting information

Overwhelmed with too much info!!!

Battle of Waterloo, June 1815

Friction Murphy’s Law… at its worst

Troops are lost Bombs miss their target Enemies don’t act as expected

Friction is that which seems easy in war planning made difficult in reality!

“Everything in war is very simple, but the simplest thing is difficult.” – Clausewitz

Chance Plain dumb luck and fortune.

Col Stauffenberg

Assassination attempt on Hitler

Sinking of USS Indianapolis

Interim Summary Enduring Truths of War

Definition of War

Basic Themes of War

Viewpoints on War

Factors Dominating War

Elements of War

“War is a clash of opposing wills”

Participants

Motives

Objectives

Scope of War

Level of Violence

Means Used

Asymmetry

Elements of War

Participants

State vs. State Iraq-Iran War

Groups within a State Former Republic of Yugoslavia

Non-State entities IRA, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda...

Secular ideology.... Ethnic / tribal hatred…. Religion…. Territory…. Economic gain…. Revenge…. Pre-emptive….

MotivesCommunist vs Capitalist

Tutsis vs Hutus

Crusades, jihad, etc

German conquest in WWII

Hitler’s rise to power

Spanish-American War

Six-Day War of 1967

Usually a mixture of some or all the above!

Objectives

Total: Political overthrow and/or extermination of your enemy (i.e., ethnic cleansing)

Limited: Concessions

Global WWI and WWII

Regional Six Day War

Local Bosnia, Somalia,

Rwanda, etc.

Scope of War

Total (Unlimited) War

Complete mobilization, both

of forces and national

resources (i.e., WWII)

Limited

Restrain forces being used

Levels of Violence

Means Employed

Weapons of Mass Destruction CBRNE

Conventional Guerilla / Urban warfare

Irregular forces vs Regular forces Urban warfare brings its own unique

challenges Terrorism

… Theme of modern warfare!

Adversaries NOT fighting the SAME war Different motives, objectives, means, etc. Capitalize on these differences

GWOT exemplifies this “unevenness concept”… Consider: Are the participants the same? Do we employ the same means? Are our motives the same?

Asymmetry

Asymmetry (cont.)Poses very real threat to US interests…

Consider 9/11 & Al Qaeda Hijacked an AF = 75% success ratio!

Asymmetric warfare requires us to adapt our doctrine to counter this new threatAdapt our own asymmetric capabilitiesCapitalize on strengthsOur enemy can’t adapt toExploit our advantages from asymmetry

Summary Enduring Truths of War

Definition of War

Basic Themes of War

Viewpoints on War

Factors Dominating War

Elements of War

WAR

Questions?