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War And the American Military

Dive into the complexities of war through definitions, themes, and enduring truths in military strategy, exploring motives, objectives, participants, and the scope of conflicts. Learn how war is intertwined with politics and the human experience.

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War And the American Military

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  1. War And the American Military

  2. Quote If you limit your actions in life to things that nobody can possibly find fault with, you will not do much. - Charles Lutwidge Dodgson

  3. Brain Teaser i i oo oo oo

  4. We are the BEST at it! The REAL mission of the Air Force • We blow things up!

  5. YOUR PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY • Learn HOW to wage war: • In ALL of its forms • Against ALL of our enemies Regardless of your job!

  6. Assumptions About War • We will have wars in the future • Worst possible TIME • Worst possible PLACE • Worst possible ENEMY

  7. Overview • Definitions • Basic Themes • Elements • Enduring Truths

  8. WAR • There’s NO glamour!

  9. WAR • A nasty, ugly, bloody & expensive business! • Takes its toll in blood & treasure!

  10. DEFINITION #1 • Clausewitz: 1. War is an act of violence to compel our enemy to do our will 2. War is politics with the addition of other means • To achieve political objectives

  11. DEFINITION #2 • Air Force Basic Doctrine (AFDD-1) • WAR is a struggle between rival political groups or nation-states to attain competing political objectives.

  12. “ War is an instrument of national policy ”

  13. The POLITICAL side The MILITARY side WAR:BASIC THEMES POLICY VIOLENCE

  14. POLITICAL SIDE • War is the LAST RESORT of policy • War is the FAILURE of policy

  15. POLITICAL SIDE • Objective of war: • Overcome the enemy’s hostile will and ability • Achieve a better state of peace

  16. “War is a complex and chaotic human endeavor”

  17. MILITARY SIDE • War is a human enterprise • Fierce emotions involved • 3 factors dominating war: (Clausewitz) • FOG • FRICTION • CHANCE

  18. ELEMENTS OF WAR MOTIVES OBJECTIVES PARTICIPANTS MEANS USED LEVEL OF VIOLENCE SCOPE OF WAR ASYMMETRY

  19. Secular ideology Ethnic/tribal hatred Religion Territory Economic gain Revenge Fear Mixture MOTIVES

  20. OBJECTIVES • TOTAL • Political overthrow/extermination • LIMITED • Concessions

  21. “War is a clash of opposing wills”

  22. PARTICIPANTS • State vs. State • Groups within a state • Civil War • Non-State entities • PLO, IRA, KLA

  23. MEANS USED • Weapons of mass destruction • Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) • Conventional • Tactics • Guerrilla • Terrorism

  24. LEVELS of VIOLENCE • TOTAL WAR • Destroy the enemy • LIMITED • Restrain forces being used

  25. SCOPE OF WAR • GLOBAL • The Great War • WWII • REGIONAL • Russia-Dagestan War • India-Pakistan or China-Taiwan • LOCAL • Kosovo, Bosnia, Somalia,

  26. ASYMMETRY • Adversaries NOT fighting the SAME war: Vietnam • OBJECTIVES (Limited vs Unlimited) • MOTIVES ( Different from enemy motives) • MEANS (Limited vs Unlimited)

  27. 3 Enduring Truths of War War is: • an instrument of national policy • a complex & chaotic human endeavor • a clash of opposing wills • Unpredictable

  28. SUMMARY • Definitions • Basic Themes • Elements • Enduring Truths

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