H101 War, Society, and the Structure of Military Revolution

1. H101 War, Society, and the Structure of Military Revolution

2. Military Revolutions Defined “Its defining feature is that it fundamentally changes the framework of war.” “Military revolutions recast society and the state as well as military organizations.” “... uncontrollable, unpredictable, and unforeseeable ...” “they [who experienced military revolutions] could rarely aspire to do more than hang on and adapt.”

3. Murray and Knox’s Military Revolutions • Early Modern Rev • Rise of nation-state (ethnic, cultural, political unity) • French Revolution • Mass politics; people-in-arms • Industrial/Managerial Revolution • Mass production; bureaucratization • World War I • Merging of French Rev and Industrial Rev • Nuclear weapons • “Next” Revolution?

4. RMAs Defined “Revolutions in military affairs require the assembly of a complex mix of tactical, organizational, doctrinal, and technological innovations in order to implement a new conceptual approach to warfare or to a specialized sub-branch of warfare.”

5. Revolutions in Military Affairs • Combined arms tactics • Strategic bombing • Carrier warfare • Submarine warfare • Amphibious warfare

6. Western Way of War According to Geoffrey Parker • Technology • Discipline • Aggressive – Decisive victory • Challenge and response – Innovation • System of financing war

7. Types of War • Limited • Total • Conventional • Unconventional

8. History, Theory, and Doctrine Particular Knowledge What happened HISTORY General Knowledge What does it mean THEORY Common Behavior What we do with it DOCTRINE

9. Nature of History • History “proves” nothing, but it does provide some an almost infinite number of examples • “Relevant” does not necessarily equal “Recent” • Use of history lies in its suggestiveness, and in the power of discernment it conveys to its user • Great value of history in the practical world is in the habit of mind that it encourages: • Unwillingness to accept positions on blithe assumptions • Understanding of how time, event, cause and effect work

10. Purpose of History “The purpose of history is to learn how human beings react when exposed to the danger of wounds or death, and how high ranking individuals react when submitted to the onerous responsibility of conducting war or the preparations for war. The acquisition of knowledge concerning the dates or places on which certain events transpired is immaterial…” GEN George S. Patton, Jr.

11. Re-Fighting the Last War? “One of the most frequently quoted axioms of historians is that generals prepare for the last war and that is why military organizations have a difficult time in the next conflict. In fact, most armies do nothing of the kind, and because they have not distilled the lessons of the last war, they end up repeating most of the same mistakes.” LTC Williamson Murray, Ph.D., USAF

12. From the Chief “To understand our profession we must understand its history. To be articulate – and at the senior level to provide strategic advice to civilian leaders – we must understand our history… Strategic Leaders must know our history.” GEN Martin DempseyChairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2011