Making Sense of War : Strategy for the 21st Century

Making Sense of War provides a comprehensive and clear analysis of the complex business of waging war. It gives readers a thorough understanding of the key concepts in strategic thought, concepts that have endured since the Athenian general Thucydides and the Chinese philosopher/warrior Sun Tzu first wrote about strategy some 2500 years ago. It also examines the influence on strategic choice and military strategy of political, legal and technological change. This book discusses strategy at every level of competition, employing a thematic approach and using historical examples from 500 BCE to the present. It discusses the contraints and opportunities facing military commanders in the 21st century, and demonstrates that the formulation of military strategy will continue to be perhaps the single most important responsibility for senior security officials. Making Sense of War offers original insights into the imperatives of military success in the era of asymmetric warfare. Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Abbreviations......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Introduction......Page 11 1 How to win......Page 17 THE ART OF WINNING......Page 20 ENDS, WAYS, AND MEANS......Page 24 2 Stove-piped strategy......Page 30 CONTINENTAL STRATEGY......Page 31 MARITIME STRATEGY......Page 35 AIR POWER THEORY......Page 36 NUCLEAR THEORY......Page 38 GUERILLA WARFARE......Page 40 TERRORISM......Page 41 STRATEGIC GENIUS: SUN-TZU, CLAUSEWITZ, AND MACHIAVELLI......Page 43 INTEGRATED STRATEGY......Page 47 3 Traditional warfighting concepts and practices......Page 50 COMPELLENCE AND COERCION......Page 51 THE DECISIVE BATTLE......Page 52 THE KNOCK-OUT BLOW......Page 57 SEIZE AND HOLD GROUND......Page 65 UNCONDITIONAL VICTORY?......Page 72 DETERRENCE AND RISK......Page 73 CENTRE OF GRAVITY......Page 80 4 Manoeuvre and the application of force......Page 85 FIREPOWER AND MANOEUVRE IN THREE DIMENSIONS......Page 86 REDEFINING MASS......Page 95 OFFENCE AND DEFENCE......Page 96 THE SEARCH FOR DISCONTINUITIES......Page 103 THE LAW OF ARMED CONFLICT......Page 110 MORALITY AS STRATEGY......Page 114 SHAPE-DETER-RESPOND......Page 117 SPHERES OF INFLUENCE......Page 125 BALANCE OF POWER......Page 128 KNOW THE ENEMY......Page 132 IDEAS AND REALITY: THE FORCE STRUCTURE......Page 135 MOTIVE, INTENT, AND CAPABILITIES......Page 144 6 Strategic paralysis......Page 150 TEMPO AND STRATEGIC PARALYSIS......Page 152 FORM AS STRATEGIC PARALYSIS......Page 155 PURPOSE AS STRATEGIC PARALYSIS......Page 158 THE EVOLUTION OF STRATEGIC PARALYSIS......Page 161 EFFECTS-BASED PLANNING......Page 164 COMPLEX, ADAPTIVE COMPETITORS......Page 171 NETWORK-CENTRIC WARFARE......Page 174 THE PROBLEM OF MILITARY CULTURE......Page 177 7 Contemplating war......Page 182 THE DECLINE IN THE INCIDENCE OF WAR......Page 183 ␀LIMITED’ WARS......Page 187 STRATEGIC CALCULATIONS......Page 193 POPULAR SUPPORT......Page 196 RESOURCES AND FORCES......Page 202 MAKING STRATEGY......Page 205 8 Constraints on war......Page 214 RESTRAINING THE RESORT TO FORCE......Page 216 REGULATING WAR AFTER 1945......Page 218 UNILATERALISM HAS COSTS......Page 222 LAW, PRUDENCE, AND THE CONDUCT OF WAR......Page 225 9 Controlling war......Page 233 KEEPING BOOTS OFF THE GROUND......Page 240 RUMSFELD’S REACTION......Page 248 10 Peacemaking......Page 253 INTERVENTION IN CIVIL CONFLICTS......Page 254 FAILED STATES......Page 259 HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTIONS......Page 260 THE ABSENCE OF STRATEGY......Page 263 PEACE SUPPORT OPERATIONS......Page 266 ENFORCEMENT AND IMPARTIALITY......Page 268 HUMANITARIAN INTERVENTION IN 21ST-CENTURY CIVIL WARS......Page 271 11 War in the twenty-first century......Page 275 THE WAR ON TERROR......Page 277 COUNTER-TERRORISM AND THE UTILITY OF FORCE......Page 279 STRATEGIC TRENDS......Page 282 2 STOVE-PIPED STRATEGY......Page 288 5 SHAPING THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT......Page 289 8 CONSTRAINTS ON WAR......Page 290 11 WAR IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY......Page 291 BOOKS......Page 292 ARTICLES......Page 293 Index......Page 294 Making Sense of War provides a comprehensive and clear analysis of the complex business of waging war. Employing a thematic approach and using historical examples from 500 BCE to the present, it discusses the constraints and opportunities facing military commanders in the 21st century.