Revolution in military affairs Research Papers (original) (raw)

Carl von Clausewitz famously declared “War is but the continuation of politics by other means.” It could just as easily be declared that war is the continuation of civilization by other means, concerning how different societies and... more

Carl von Clausewitz famously declared “War is but the continuation of politics by other means.” It could just as easily be declared that war is the continuation of civilization by other means, concerning how different societies and cultures fight can be reflective of their distinct characters as much as any other factor. The study of war from the civilizational perspective is not new; for example, former ISCSC presidents Pitirim Sorokin and Matthew Melko did their own studies related to the matter. Into this mix come MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray in their edited volume "The Dynamics of Military Revolution, 1300–2050" published by Cambridge University Press. The specific context of the book was to address the debates concerning the nature of “Revolutions in Military Affairs” (RMA) that were widespread during the 1990s.

The article examines how new planning concepts and methods advanced by the RAND Corporation and adopted by the Pentagon during the 1990s served to inflate defense requirements. A version appeared in the March/April 1998 Bulletin of the... more

The article examines how new planning concepts and methods advanced by the RAND Corporation and adopted by the Pentagon during the 1990s served to inflate defense requirements. A version appeared in the March/April 1998 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists as “Inventing Threats.”

Many academics and policy-makers have misunderstood or ignored this trinity, however, and in different ways. Firstly, the the trinitarian analysis is a tool, not a ‘formula’ or doctrine, 3 secondly the trinity of the state – the... more

Many academics and policy-makers have misunderstood or ignored this trinity, however, and in different ways. Firstly, the the trinitarian analysis is a tool, not a ‘formula’ or doctrine, 3 secondly the trinity of the state – the ‘Summersian Trinity’ – has been misused,4 thirdly, that armies since the 1990s have attempted to forgo the trinity and its effects.5 This essay, elaborating on these misunderstandings and ignorance, will firstly illustrate where Clausewitz’s critics go wrong, then highlight how the trinity, both as a whole and in its individual elements, is still of such value in the twenty-first century.

The contemporary security environment is becoming more and more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. At the same time, there is a deficit of understanding of the security environment, which results, among others, from the... more

The contemporary security environment is becoming more and more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. At the same time, there is a deficit of understanding of the security environment, which results, among others,
from the interpenetration of military and civilian aspects, the development of new technologies and globalization processes and their multi-faceted consequences

Classical Approach Versus Systematic Approach?: Military Theoretical Interpretation on the U. S. Offset Strategies By reviewing the Jomini's and Clausewitz's military theory, this paper provides the analytical framework for assessing the... more

Classical Approach Versus Systematic Approach?: Military Theoretical Interpretation on the U. S. Offset Strategies By reviewing the Jomini's and Clausewitz's military theory, this paper provides the analytical framework for assessing the impact of the military innovations on the nature of warfare. The debates in military theory can be sorted into three dimensions according to the types and degree of idealization. With the analytical framework, the paper reviews ongoing debates on the military innovations carried out under the first and second US offset strategies. Furthermore, the paper evaluates the implications and limits of technological gambit of the third offset strategy to the future warfare.

The first section of this paper describes its structure and provides the NATO definitions and acronyms. Section 2 describes the professional context and current situation within which the CD&E activities are taking place. It describes in... more

The first section of this paper describes its structure and provides the NATO definitions and acronyms. Section 2 describes the professional context and current situation within which the CD&E activities are taking place. It describes in detail the 2018 Concept Development Methodology and proposes some initial metrics. It concludes with the rationale for change. The following section situates the changes brought by CD&E and potentially this research within the innovation space. The fourth section draws from the material presented in the previous sections to state the research aims and objectives. Section five concludes with a plan for this research.

This research will describe the first major operation launched by an Italian army against a heavily fortified city after the assimilation of the French style artillery into the warfare of the Peninsula. The paper will examine, in... more

This research will describe the first major operation launched by an Italian army against a heavily fortified city after the assimilation of the French style artillery into the warfare of the Peninsula. The paper will examine, in particular, the preparations for this “marvellous enterprise,” stressing the difficulties with the procurement of ammunition during the early stages of employment of these new guns. Data have been gathered from the State Archives of Florence, Pisa, and Lucca. Furthermore, numerous chronicles and several diaries have been useful in highlighting the political, social, and economic background of the campaign.
The article demonstrates that, from the last years of the fifteenth century, the issues with supplying ordnance compelled the Italian regional states to develop the manufacture of pieces, shot, and powder, facing a “revolutionary challenge” in terms of management, commerce, and production.

The Russian intervention in Syria, as well as the associated deployment of electronic warfare systems, generated alarm among NATO members linked to the possibility that a strengthening of electronic warfare capabilities by Russia could... more

The Russian intervention in Syria, as well as the associated deployment of electronic warfare systems, generated alarm among NATO members linked to the possibility that a strengthening of electronic warfare capabilities by Russia could reduce the current technological asymmetry in favor of NATO. Such reduction would come from the use of electronic warfare systems to hamper the command and control capacity of attack and defense systems. This paper analyses the Russian intervention in Syria in order to define whether it can be understood that there is an increasing risk to Euro-Atlantic security stemming from Russian advances in electronic warfare.

Abstract: Army culture does not currently value or incentivize education and broadening for senior leaders, as it did prior to 1950. Various structural factors, such as the creation of a mega-bureaucracy, co-equal service branches, and a... more

Abstract: Army culture does not currently value or incentivize education and broadening for senior leaders, as it did prior to 1950. Various structural factors, such as the creation of a mega-bureaucracy, co-equal service branches, and a fixation with tactics, have contributed to the decline in numbers of educated and broadened leaders in the molds of Generals Pershing, MacArthur, and Eisenhower. The Army’s strategic performance since the Korean War is symptomatic of this cultural decline.

This paper examines the semiconductor's industry growing importance as a strategic technology in the modern industrial system and in contemporary warfare. It also analyzes this industry's evolution in China and the Chinese semiconductor... more

This paper examines the semiconductor's industry growing importance as a strategic technology in the modern industrial system and in contemporary warfare. It also analyzes this industry's evolution in China and the Chinese semiconductor industrial policy over the last years. We review the Chinese interpretation of the 'revolution in military affairs' and China's perception of its backwardness as well as the possibilities of catch-up and evolution in the most sophisticated segments of this productive chain through domestic firms and indigenous innovation.

Esta é uma investigação sobre a Guerra. No seu domínio mais tecnológico e avassalador: a Guerra Aérea. E num registo que promete revolucionar a história milenar da confl itualidade hostil: a Guerra Aérea Remota. É uma análise crítica... more

Esta é uma investigação sobre a Guerra.
No seu domínio mais tecnológico e avassalador: a Guerra Aérea. E num registo que promete revolucionar a história milenar da confl itualidade hostil: a Guerra Aérea Remota.
É uma análise crítica das ideias subjacentes ao emprego de sistemas aéreos não tripulados (Unmanned Aircraft Systems - UAS), a fim de desenvolver um conhecimento mais abrangente sobre os seus efeitos, permitindo uma adaptação mais eficaz ao futuro da Guerra.
Aceitando a objetividade das vantagens operacionais, que diferenciadores estratégicos concorrem para a preeminência futura da Guerra Aérea Remota e que implicações se podem derivar para as Relações Internacionais e para Portugal?
Ao procurarmos respostas para estas dúvidas, sustentamos que a tendência de crescente preeminência dos UAS se revela imprescindível, irresistível, inevitável e em última análise irreversível, ameaçando transfigurar, num futuro não tão distante, a natureza da própria Guerra.
Assim, este estudo tem como objetivo registar o momento crítico de mudança e compreender a natureza das tendências futuras, inquirindo sobre as implicações políticas, legais, morais e sociais na natureza e no caráter da Guerra resultantes da Guerra Aérea Remota. Antevemos por isso, efeitos ao nível operacional, com impacto na conduta da Guerra; efeitos genéticos refl etidos na alteração das características e capacidades do Poder Aéreo; e efeitos políticos com impacto no processo de decisão sobre o uso da força nas Relações Internacionais.
Considerando as implicações da Guerra Aérea Remota é possível prospetivar oportunidades, assim como desafios, que podem confrontar uma pequena potência como Portugal. A discussão dos requisitos estratégicos e operacionais de Portugal, bem como os seus diferenciadores estratégicos, contribuirá para a definição de um modelo de capacidade UAS nacional.

This paper examines the nature of massacres in England and Wales between 1642 and 1646 during the First English Civil War. Historians have generally argued the war in England was civilised and conducted with little brutality and outrage,... more

This paper examines the nature of massacres in England and Wales between 1642 and 1646 during the First English Civil War. Historians have generally argued the war in England was civilised and conducted with little brutality and outrage, in contrast to wars in Ireland and the Continent. This paper argues that there were several massacres in the wars and that they resulted from religious tension and varied interpretations of the laws of war and that the situation was remarkably similar to conflict elsewhere in Europe in the period.

This article examines the technological development of artillery production in Florence during the last two decades of the fifteenth century, before and after the assimilation of the most efficient French ordnance into Italian warfare.... more

This article examines the technological development of artillery production in Florence during the last two decades of the fifteenth century, before and after the assimilation of the most efficient French ordnance into Italian warfare. The study starts from the notes, drawings, accounts, and guns produced by Bonaccorso di Vettorio Ghiberti (1451–1516), the heir of the foundry of his illustrious ancestor Lorenzo di Cione (1378–1455). Data have been collected from the historical archives of the Istituto degli Innocenti, from the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale of Florence, and from the Florentine State Archive.
This article demonstrates the existence of a lively and reactive war-related industry in Renaissance Italy, which was aware of new ideas and new techniques. The article highlights, moreover, the leading role of public demand in fostering military innovations.

This article provides an alternative view for examining Revolutions in Military Affairs (RMAs), perceiving them both as sociopolitical institutions and as war-fighting models. The weaknesses in the ways in which the RMA theory has been... more

This article provides an alternative view for examining Revolutions in Military Affairs (RMAs), perceiving them both as sociopolitical institutions and as war-fighting models. The weaknesses in the ways in which the RMA theory has been approached are analyzed, resulting in the formation of three different, but parallel, paradigms of the RMA phenomenon (the Social Wave, the Radical Transformation, and the Continuity and Evolution). Two historical case studies, the Napoleonic RMA and the First World War RMA, are used in order to draw out the lessons learned regarding past revolutions and to examine the validity of the paradigms.

Historians usually acknowledge the Ottomans’ successful early adoption of firearms, and some even term them a “gunpowder empire,” suggesting that firearms played a crucial role in the Ottoman wars of emergence. However, others maintain... more

Historians usually acknowledge the Ottomans’ successful early adoption of firearms, and some even term them a “gunpowder empire,” suggesting that firearms played a crucial role in the Ottoman wars of emergence. However, others maintain that the Ottomans soon lagged behind the paradigmatic states of the “military revolution” and became dependent on European military technology and weaponry. Based on a large body of unpublished source material, this essay challenges both views. It demonstrates the Ottomans’ continued flexibility in adapting and improving upon new weapons, and Istanbul’s self-sufficiency in weapons and ammunition production. Using selected sieges and battles, I argue that, in addition to firearms, factors such as good intelligence, resourceful leadership, a large and disciplined professional army, superior supply and logistics, the combined use of field artillery, infantry firepower, wagon fortresses, and cavalry charges were all important in Ottoman military successes. Regarding the possible relationship between firearms and the growth of the army, older Ottomanist literature explained the increase in the number of musket-bearing infantry janissaries with Istanbul’s need to counter Habsburg infantry volley-fire in the war of 1593-1606 in Hungary. New evidence indicates that the growth of the janissary corps was part of a general military expansion that started in the mid-sixteenth century and accelerated during the Ottomans’ “Thirty Years War” (1578-1611) against the Safavids and Habsburgs. This expansion reflected both military and socio-economic changes, and cannot be explained simply by “the challenge of the European military revolution,” indeed a reductionist reasoning bordering on technological determinism.

Η εισαγωγή ομαδικών αυτομάτων όπλων και βομβίδων στις μικρές μονάδες πεζικού, αρχής γενομένης με τον Α´ Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο, και το πώς αυτή επηρέασε τακτικά και οργανωτικά το πεζικό του Ελληνικού Στρατού έως και την λήξη της Μικρασιατικής... more

Η εισαγωγή ομαδικών αυτομάτων όπλων και βομβίδων στις μικρές μονάδες πεζικού, αρχής γενομένης με τον Α´ Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο, και το πώς αυτή επηρέασε τακτικά και οργανωτικά το πεζικό του Ελληνικού Στρατού έως και την λήξη της Μικρασιατικής εκστρατείας.

Shirogorov V. V. Ukrainian War: The Armed Conflict for Eastern Europe in XVI – XVII cеnturies. Volume II: Turkish onslaught: Balkans – Black Sea – Caucasus (To the end of XVI century) M.: Molodaya Gvardiya, 2018. – 700 [4] p. ISBN... more

Shirogorov V. V. Ukrainian War: The Armed Conflict for Eastern Europe in XVI – XVII cеnturies. Volume II: Turkish onslaught: Balkans – Black Sea – Caucasus (To the end of XVI century)
M.: Molodaya Gvardiya, 2018. – 700 [4] p.
ISBN 978-5-235-04058-8

Keamanan nasional merupakan salah satu agenda penting dari kebijakan keamanan nasional, diantaranya adalah meningkatkan keamanan institusi-institusi sosial, ekonomi dan politik bangsa terhadap berbagai macam ancaman yang muncul dari... more

Keamanan nasional merupakan salah satu agenda penting dari kebijakan keamanan nasional, diantaranya adalah meningkatkan keamanan institusi-institusi sosial, ekonomi dan politik bangsa terhadap berbagai macam ancaman yang muncul dari negara-negara merdeka lainmya termasuk membangun hubungan militer-sipil. Kebijakan keamanan nasional dirancang untuk mengurangi atau menetralkan berbagai usaha yang akan melemahkan kekuatan negara, salah satunya adalah dengan operasional militer. Oleh sebab itu hubungan militer-sipil merupakan komponen institusional yang mendasar dari kebijakan militer yang dirancang untuk mengurangi atau menetralkan berbagai usaha yang dapat menghancurkan negara dengan menggunakan kekuatan senjata yang dioperasikan dari luar batas-batas teritorialnya.

More so than in any other sphere of social existence, the brute physicality of war confronts us with the pervasive role that material objects occupy in the life (and death) of human collectives. But while the rapid and dramatic changes in... more

More so than in any other sphere of social existence, the brute physicality of war confronts us with the pervasive role that material objects occupy in the life (and death) of human collectives. But while the rapid and dramatic changes in the practices of warfare experienced in the modern era can be directly correlated to the evolutions of technique, we should be wary of simplified linear accounts that all too hastily read developments on the battlefield as incipient to the character of specific technical objects. It is only when these are related back to the wider sociotechnical assemblages in which they are embedded that we can begin to draw out the complex interdependencies and co-constitutive interactions that make up the war machine. Such an intellectual endeavour can contribute to developing more sober and nuanced appreciations of the transformative potential of technological developments than those which have animated RMA enthusiasts and at times intoxicated policy-makers.

How Would Von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu approach challenged the War in Iraq? What advice would they give to the US military? This paper will discuss how Clausewitz and Sun Tzu would view the War in Iraq and what advice they would have... more

How Would Von Clausewitz and Sun Tzu approach challenged the War in Iraq? What advice would they give to the US military? This paper will discuss how Clausewitz and Sun Tzu would view the War in Iraq and what advice they would have provided if they were alive today. The paper is organized into the following sections: 1) History of Sun Tzu and The Art of War 2) History of Carl von Clausewitz and On War 3) A discussion of the planning phase for the War in Iraq 4) Conduct and Operations during the War in Iraq 5) Discussion of the rise of the Iraqi insurgency and a conclusion. Ultimately the conclusion of this paper is that if Clausewitz and Sun Tzu were alive today they could find some strengths but primarily weaknesses in the United States military’s approach to planning, conducting, and organizing operations during the War in Iraq.

This article aims to reconstruct and compare the technical developments of Italian ordnance production during the second half of the fifteenth century. The analysis will particularly focus on novelties and changes induced by the... more

This article aims to reconstruct and compare the technical developments of Italian ordnance production during the second half of the fifteenth century. The analysis will particularly focus on novelties and changes induced by the appearance and the assimilation of French royal cannons into Italian warfare, before and after the famed French Neapolitan campaign of 1494.
Data have been collected from numerous contemporary chronicles and several critical editions of documents. Moreover, archival sources have been used for the examination of the significant Florentine case study.
The results of the research demonstrate that the Italian states had for some time been engaged in the traditional manufacture of heavy guns, and so were skilled at adopting original practices, searching out innovations, and encouraging effective ideas, in the lively context of a Renaissance technological efflorescence.

A pesar de las transformaciones que ha experimentado el panorama internacional desde el fin de la Guerra Fría, las reflexiones de la comunidad de defensa estadounidense han girado en torno a la innovación tecnológica como motor del... more

A pesar de las transformaciones que ha experimentado el panorama internacional desde el fin de la Guerra Fría, las reflexiones de la comunidad de defensa estadounidense han girado en torno a la innovación tecnológica como motor del cambio militar. Su cultura estratégica prioriza la búsqueda de soluciones tecnológicas a las cuestiones militares y su planeamiento de la defensa se basa en el mantenimiento de una brecha tecnológica con sus competidores para garantizar su supremacía militar y hegemonía política.
Tras la desaparición de su gran antagonista, Washington se consolidó como el único polo del poder mundial y su superioridad bélica parecía garantizada mediante la conquista de una Revolución en los Asuntos Militares que prometía inaugurar un estilo de combatir más limpio, eficaz, preciso y resolutivo. Muchas de estas esperanzas se desvanecieron en Afganistán e Irak, cuya ocupación demostró una vez más la crudeza de la guerra. Aunque estas campañas revelaron las debilidades de este estilo de lucha en entornos irregulares e híbridos, también permitieron madurar las tecnologías revolucionarias como las armas inteligentes, los robots o la ciberguerra, explotar nuevas formas de combatir e identificar al soldado como el eslabón más débil de la maquinaria bélica del país.
Hoy en día, consolidada esta revolución y popularizadas las tecnologías que la han posibilitado, erosionada la supremacía bélica que ésta ha proporcionado a Estados Unidos durante más de tres décadas, enterrada la Guerra contra el Terror y con la mirada puesta hacia Asia-Pacífico, Washington vuelve a confiar en las posibilidades de la guerra tecnológica. Lanzada en 2014, la Tercera Estrategia de Compensación se presenta como un nuevo ciclo de innovación tecnológico-militar proyectado para incrementar la brecha militar con sus competidores y sustituir el modelo de presencia avanzada y proyección del poder vigente desde los albores de la Guerra Fría, pudiendo culminar en una nueva Revolución en los Asuntos Militares en el año 2035.
Entre la Compensación y la Revolución analiza la evolución del planeamiento de la defensa estadounidense desde el arranque de la Segunda Estrategia de Compensación en 1977 hasta el lanzamiento de la Tercera Estrategia de Compensación en 2014, un periodo que ha visto el auge, consolidación y erosión del régimen militar de la Revolución en los Asuntos Militares.

Distinguishes more limited "revolutions in military affairs" from more sweepingly significant "military revolutions" and suggests some ways to think about whether the current "RMA" complex will in historical perspective amount to a true... more

Distinguishes more limited "revolutions in military affairs" from more sweepingly significant "military revolutions" and suggests some ways to think about whether the current "RMA" complex will in historical perspective amount to a true military revolution.

En el presente trabajo abordaremos las innovaciones militares del Gran Capitán y el impacto que tuvieron durante 200 años, a través del análisis de la tradición militar española durante los siglos XVI y XVII, y su concepción de la guerra.... more

En el presente trabajo abordaremos las innovaciones militares del Gran Capitán y el impacto que tuvieron durante 200 años, a través del análisis de la tradición militar española durante los siglos XVI y XVII, y su concepción de la guerra. El objetivo a tratar será la plasmación de las novedades introducidas por el Gran Capitán, y su consolidación y evolución a largo plazo en los Tercios de la segunda mitad del siglo XVI y todo el siglo XVII, hasta la llegada de los primeros Borbones y la instauración de un sistema militar a imitación del francés. De esta manera analizaremos las enseñanzas e innovaciones de los ejércitos del Gran Capitán –ideas que dieron lugar a los ejércitos modernos–, y su rastro en el sistema militar de los Austrias, y en su tradición táctica y concepción estratégica.

Sifting through state documentation and contemporary treatises, the article will examine the development of light artillery in Renaissance Italy, focusing on the acquisition of transalpine military technology and its adaptation to local... more

Sifting through state documentation and contemporary treatises, the article will examine the development of light artillery in Renaissance Italy, focusing on the acquisition of transalpine military technology and its adaptation to local manufacturing traditions. The essay will evaluate the impact of new weapons, wheeled carts, and metal shot on the improvement of fifteenth-century defensive tactics, hence remarking the correlation between actual warfare and technical innovation through the analysis of several major battles, including the clashes at Anghiari, Riccardina, and Campomorto. Also considering the encounter at Fornovo, and briefly comparing the French ordnance to Italian guns, the research will demonstrate the existence of specific patterns of technological transfer, determined by political and military, cultural and economic factors.

Summary: The article explores the application of volley fire in European armies in the mid-16th century. On the basis of Polish sources, the authors established that shooting volleys was applied by Polish infantry in 1558. There was also... more

Summary: The article explores the application of volley fire in European armies in the mid-16th century. On the basis of Polish sources, the authors established that shooting volleys was applied by Polish infantry in 1558. There was also training in collective loading and shooting conducted by a commander every few days. Fire was conducted in the Turkish manner, i. e. having fired a salvo the rank would kneel and load the weapon in this position. The painting referred to in the article «The Battle of Orsha» (created in the 1530s or 1540s) shows the West European manner of conducting combat by an infantry unit. It involved setting the shooters in three ranks and alternating firing at enemy positions with a simultaneous countermarch. This suggests that the method described for the first time by the Spanish in 1592 was spread half a century earlier. The sources show that in the mid-16th century, volley fire was known in vast Eurasian tracks from remote China, through the Ottoman Empire to the western ends of Europe. The difference lay in the way of conducting the volley fire, and the most effective form of fire applied in battles was invented by the Dutch in the 1590s. As a result of the enlargement of weapon size and the introduction of muskets, the method proposed by Tarnowski of loading firearms in kneeling position became increasingly obsolete.
Keywords: volley fire, military revolution, countermarch, Jan Tarnowski, military of the 16th century, tactics of the 16th century, soldiers’ training .

Il corso della storia moderna è scandito da momenti di rivoluzione e di modernizzazione, che interessarono ogni aspetto della società, dalla politica, all’economia, dal mondo culturale a quello militare. Un’eterogeneità di fenomeni che... more

Il corso della storia moderna è scandito da momenti di rivoluzione e di modernizzazione, che interessarono ogni aspetto della società, dalla politica, all’economia, dal mondo culturale a quello militare. Un’eterogeneità di fenomeni che colpisce per la sua estensione geografica e temporale, travalicando gli stretti confini spesso creati da storici e politologi. Non solamente urti violenti, ben rappresentati dagli avvenimenti della Rivoluzione francese o del ’48 europeo, ma anche quei processi, che, senza l’utilizzo della violenza, guidarono la società verso un’evoluzione tecnologica a cui non si sarebbe più potuto rinunciare. Attraverso nuove indagini archivistiche, che hanno riportato alla luce documenti inediti, fatti dialogare con le più recenti acquisizioni storiografiche, si propongono alcuni casi che mostrano la varietà di motivi, di obiettivi e di conseguenze che le rivoluzioni e i processi di modernizzazione portarono durante il proprio corso. E permettono di comprendere le novità, le difficoltà, le contraddizioni e le permanenze nella discontinuità. Nel tracciare questa parabola, gli studi danno misura di quanto fiorente sia la riflessione su temi e avvenimenti che contraddistinsero l’epoca moderna.