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Asymmetric warfare originally referred to war between two or more actors or groups whose relative military power differs significantly. War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units Military history is a Humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity Prehistoric warfare is War conducted in the era before Writing, and before the establishments of large social entities like States Historical warfare sets Ancient warfare is War as conducted from the beginnings of recorded History to the end of the ancient period Medieval Warfare is the warfare of the Middle Ages. In Europe technological cultural and social developments had forced a dramatic transformation in the character Early Modern warfare is associated with the start of the widespread use of Gunpowder and the development of suitable weapons to use the explosive Industrial warfare is a period in the History of warfare ranging roughly from the start of the Industrial Revolution to the beginning of the Information Age Modern warfare, although present in every Historical period of Military history, is generally used to refer to the concepts, methods and Battlespace is a unified strategy to integrate and combine Armed forces for the Military theatre of operations, including air, information Air power redirects here for electrical and mechanical energy supplied by air movement see Wind power Information warfare is the use and management of information in pursuit of a competitive advantage over an opponent Land warfare, sometimes also called ground combat is the term used to describe military operations eventuating in Combat that take place predominantly on the land surface of Naval warfare is Combat in and on Seas Oceans or any other major bodies of water such as large Lakes and wide Rivers History Space warfare is combat that takes place in Outer space, ie outside the Atmosphere. A weapon is a Tool used either in Hunting, or attack or defence in Combat for the purpose of subduing enemy personnel or to destroy enemy weapons Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of Armoured fighting vehicles in Modern warfare. Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine Biological warfare (BW — known as a germ warfare, biological weapons and bioweaponry — is the use of any Pathogen ( Bacterium The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of Chemical substances to kill injure or incapacitate an enemy. Electronic warfare ( EW) is the use of the Electromagnetic spectrum to effectively deny the use of this medium by an adversary while optimizing its use by friendly The Infantry is the oldest and most numerous of the Combat Arms in the Armed forces, and consists A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. The US Department of Defense defines psychological warfare ( PSYWAR) as" The planned use of Propaganda and other Psychological actions Military tactics ( Greek: Taktikē, the art of organizing an army are the techniques for using weapons or military units in combination for engaging and defeating This article is about the military strategy For the Israeli-Egyptian conflict see War of Attrition, for the game theoretical model see War of attrition (game Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc Maneuver warfare, also spelled manoeuvre warfare, is the term used by military theorists for a concept of Warfare that advocates attempting to Total war is a conflict of unlimited scope in which a Belligerent engages in a total mobilization of all available resources at his disposal Trench warfare is a form of warfare where both combatants have fortified positions and fighting lines are static Military strategy is a National defence policy implemented by Military organisations to pursue desired strategic goals Derived from the Greek Economic warfare is the term for economic policies followed as a part of Military operations during Wartime The purpose of economic warfare is to capture Grand strategy is military Strategy at the level of movement and use of an entire Nation state or Empire 's resources A military organization is a way of structuring the armed forces of a State as a need to offer Military capability required by the National defence policy A military organization is a way of structuring the armed forces of a State as a need to offer Military capability required by the National defence policy Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in Armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines A military organization is a way of structuring the armed forces of a State as a need to offer Military capability required by the National defence policy Military Logistics is the art and science of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces This article lists military technology items devices and methods Materiel (from the French "matériel" for equipment or hardware related to the word Material) is a term used in English to refer to the Military supply chain management is a cross-functional approach to procuring, producing and delivering products and services The broad This is an index to articles listing Battles. List of battles (alphabetical gives a global list See also Military History Antiquity Albania Agron ( 250 BC - 230 BC) The first king to unite the Illyrian This is a list of missions operations and projects Missions in support of other missions are not listed independently A Siege is a prolonged Military Assault and Blockade on a City or Fortress with the intent of conquering by force or Attrition See also List of military writers. Friedrich von Bernhardi Ivan Bloch John Boyd, inventor of the OODA Loop This is a listing of lists of Wars, sorted by country date region and type of conflict This article lists and summarizes War crimes committed since the Hague Convention of 1907. There is a bewildering array of Weapons far more than would be useful in list form This is a list of military writers, alphabetical by last name Contemporary military thinkers tend to broaden this to include asymmetry of strategy or tactics; today "asymmetric warfare" can describe a conflict in which the resources of two belligerents differ in essence and in the struggle, interact and attempt to exploit each other's characteristic weaknesses. A belligerent is an individual group country or other entity which acts in a hostile manner such as engaging in Combat. Such struggles often involve strategies and tactics of unconventional warfare, the "weaker" combatants attempting to use strategy to offset deficiencies in quantity or quality. Unconventional warfare (abbreviated UW) is the opposite of Conventional warfare. ^[1]

Contents 1 History 2 Strategic basis 3 Tactical basis 4 The use of terrain in asymmetric warfare 5 War by proxy 6 Asymmetric warfare and terrorism 7 Examples of asymmetric warfare 7.1 The American Revolutionary War 7.2 The Vendée revolt 7.3 20th century asymmetric warfare 7.3.1 Second Boer War 7.3.2 World War I 7.3.3 Post-World War I 7.3.4 World War II 7.3.4.1 Britain 7.3.4.2 United States 7.4 Post-World War II 7.4.1 Cold War 7.4.2 Cold War examples of proxy wars 7.4.3 Post-Cold War 7.5 21st century 7.5.1 Israel/Palestinians 7.5.2 Iraq 7.5.3 Guantanamo Bay detention camp 8 See also 9 References 10 Further reading

History

Typically at least one of the parties involved may be referred to as partisans. A partisan is a member of an Irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation One theory says Partisan comes from the Tuscan word, "partigiano", meaning a member of a party of light or irregular troops engaged in harassing an enemy, esp. a member of a guerrilla band engaged in fighting or sabotage against an occupying army. Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening an enemy oppressor or employer through subversion obstruction disruption and/or destruction The other theory says Partisan comes from Persian word Parti-san, in Persian san means similar and Part is a name of Aryan tribe living in north east of Iran who invented and developed the first partisan war tactics.

The first known wide usage of asymmetric war was by Parthians, who freed Persia from Seleucid rule (remaining from Alexander's invasion) and continued the same techniques against Romans and other invaders from the North of the empire. Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The Seleucid Empire /sə'lusɪd/ ( 312 - 63 BC) was a Hellenistic empire i Alexander the Great ( or, Mégas Aléxandros; July 20 356 BC June 10 or June 11 323 BC also known as Alexander III of Macedon (el Ἀλέξανδρος Γ' The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial ^[2]

Strategic basis

In most conventional warfare, the belligerents deploy forces of a similar type and the outcome can be predicted by the quantity of the opposing forces or by their quality, for example better command and control of their forces. There are times where this is not true because the composition or strategy of the forces makes it impossible for either side to close in battle with the other. An example of this is the standoff between the continental land forces of the French army and the maritime forces of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts from 1792 until 1802 fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815 involved Napoleon's French Empire and a shifting set of European allies and opposing coalitions In the words of Admiral Jervis during Campaigns of 1801, "I do not say, my Lords, that the French will not come. Admiral of the Fleet John Jervis 1st Earl of St Vincent GCB PC RN ( 9 January 1735 &ndash 14 March 1823 The French Revolutionary Wars continued in 1801 with the French bringing the war against the Second Coalition to a close I say only they will not come by sea".

Tactical basis

The tactical success of asymmetric warfare is dependent on at least some of the following assumptions:

• One side can have a technological advantage which outweighs the numerical advantage of the enemy; the decisive English Longbow at the Battle of Agincourt is an example. The English longbow, also called the Welsh longbow, was a powerful type of medieval Longbow (a tall bow for Archery) about 6 ft The Battle of Agincourt was an English victory against a larger French army in the Hundred Years' War. The advantage may also be the other way around. For example, the vast numerical superiority of the Chinese forces during their initial involvement in the Korean War overwhelmed the technological superiority of the United Nations forces. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the As was said by Stalin, "Quantity has a quality all its own. Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party "

• Training and tactics as well as technology can prove decisive and allow a smaller force to overcome a much larger one. For example, for several centuries the Greek hoplite's (heavy infantry) use of phalanx made them far superior to their enemies. The word hoplite ( Greek: hoplitēs; pl hoplitai) derives from hoplon ( plural hopla) meaning an item of armour or equipment thus 'hoplite' The phalanx (Ancient Greek φάλαγξ Modern Greek φάλαγγα phālanga (plural phalanxes or phalanges (Ancient and Modern Greek φάλαγγες The Battle of Thermopylae, which also involved good use of terrain, is a well known example. In the Battle of Thermopylae, which occurred in August 480 BC (and was detailed almost entirely by Herodotus) an alliance of Greek City-states fought

• If the inferior power is in a position of self-defense; i. e. , under attack or occupation, it may be possible to use unconventional tactics, such as hit-and-run and selective battles in which the superior power is weaker, as an effective means of harassment without violating the Laws of war. The law of war (also law of armed conflict, LOAC) is Law concerning acceptable practices relating to war Perhaps the classical historical examples of this doctrine may be found in the American Revolutionary War and movements in World War II, such as the French Resistance, Soviet partisans, and Yugoslav partisans. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The French Resistance is the collective name used for the French Resistance movements which fought against the Nazi German The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Against democratic 'aggressor' nations, this strategy can be used to play on citizens' patience with the conflict (as in the Vietnam War, and others since) provoking protests, and consequent disputes among elected legislators. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

• If the inferior power is in an aggressive position, however, and/or turns to tactics prohibited by the laws of war (jus in bello), its success depends on the superior power's refraining from like tactics. The law of war (also law of armed conflict, LOAC) is Law concerning acceptable practices relating to war For example, the Law of land warfare prohibits the use of a flag of truce or clearly-marked medical vehicles as cover for an attack or ambush, but an asymmetric combatant using this prohibited tactic depends on the superior power's obedience to the corresponding law. The law of war (also law of armed conflict, LOAC) is Law concerning acceptable practices relating to war Similarly, laws of warfare prohibit combatants from using civilian settlements, populations or facilities as military bases, but when an inferior power uses this tactic, it depends on the premise that the superior power will respect the law that they are violating, and will not attack that civilian target, or if they do the propaganda advantage will outweigh the material loss. As seen in most conflicts of the 20th and 21st centuries, is that this is highly unlikely as the propaganda advantage has always outweighed adherence to international law, especially by dominating sides of any conflict.

The use of terrain in asymmetric warfare

Terrain can be used as a force multiplier by the smaller force and as a force inhibitor against the larger force. Force multiplication, in military usage refers to a combination of attributes or advantages which make a given force more effective than another force of comparable size Such terrain is called difficult terrain.

The contour of the land is an aid to the army; sizing up opponents to determine victory, assessing dangers and distances… those who do battle without knowing these will lose. ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Tactics usually attributed to guerrilla warfare are often used in asymmetrical warfare by the smaller side. Sun Tzu ( ("Master Sun" also called Sun Wu ( is traditionally considered to be the author of The Art of War (also simply called the The Art of War ( is a Chinese military Treatise that was written during the 6th century BC by Sun Tzu. Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc In both cases, the forces may rely on a friendly population to provide supplies and intelligence and difficult terrain for cover and escape. The population and terrain are often well-known to native forces, who can use both to escape reprisal from conventional armies and supply themselves to continue their operations. Both the Vietnam war and the Boer wars are examples of this. The use of asymmetrical tactics by outside forces often requires extensive reconnaissance to make use of terrain characteristics. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information

Minority forces often operate in regions providing plenty of cover and concealment, especially heavily forested and mountainous areas. This tactic takes advantage of the relative immobility of a larger army in such terrain. In urban areas they will blend into the population and are often dependent on a support base among the people to hide their whereabouts.

The guerrillas must move amongst the people as a fish swims in the sea. ― Mao Zedong. Mao Zedong ( 26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese Military and political leader who led

For a detailed description of the advantages for the weaker force in the use of built-up areas when engaging in asymmetric warfare, see the article on urban warfare. Urban warfare is modern warfare conducted in Urban areas such as Towns and cities.

War by proxy

Where asymmetric warfare is carried out (generally covertly) by allegedly non-governmental actors who are connected to or sympathetic to a particular nation's (the "state actor's") interest, it may be deemed war by proxy. A proxy war is the war that results when two powers use third parties as substitutes for fighting each other directly This is typically done to give deniability to the state actor. Plausible deniability refers to the denial of blame in loose and informal chains of command where upper rungs quarantine the blame to the lower rungs The deniability can be important to keep the state actor from being tainted by the actions, to allow the state actor to negotiate in apparent good faith by claiming they are not responsible for the actions of parties who are merely sympathizers, or to avoid being accused of belligerent actions or war crimes. A belligerent is an individual group country or other entity which acts in a hostile manner such as engaging in Combat. War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war" including but not limited to "murder the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied

Asymmetric warfare and terrorism

There are two different viewpoints on the relationship between asymmetric warfare and terrorism. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion In the modern context, asymmetric warfare is increasingly considered a component of fourth generation warfare. Fourth generation warfare (4GW is combat characterized by a blurring of the lines between War and Politics, soldier and civilian peace and conflict battlefield When practiced outside the laws of war, it is often defined as "terrorism". The law of war (also law of armed conflict, LOAC) is Law concerning acceptable practices relating to war Terrorism is sometimes used as a tactic by the weaker side in an asymmetric conflict. ^[3]

The other view is that asymmetric warfare is not synonymous with terrorism, even though terrorism is sometimes used as a tactic by the weaker side. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion It is typical, in an asymmetric conflict, for the stronger side to accuse the weaker side of being bandits, pillagers or terrorists. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion These accusations are usually part of propaganda campaigns, although they are sometimes true. Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people Some argue that asymmetric warfare is sometimes called "terrorism" by those wishing to deny the political aims of their weaker opponents and to exploit the negative connotations of the word. There are those who hold the view that "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. Freedom fighter is a term to describe those that engage in a struggle to achieve freedom for themselves or to free others in some matter " An example of this is over Kashmir: the Pakistanis claim that a war of freedom for the Kashmiris is being fought with the Indians, who in turn, label them as terrorists. This article is about the geographical region of greater Kashmir Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The sectarian killings upon Iraqi civilians by insurgents are similarly labeled as terrorism by some and resistance by others. Sectarianism is Bigotry, Discrimination, Prejudice or Hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions The Iraqi insurgency is composed of diverse mix of militias foreign fighters all Iraqi units or mixtures using violent measures against the US-led Coalition in Iraq A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups dedicated to fighting an Invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign nation ^[4]

One example of asymmetric warfare involving terrorism is the use of terrorism by the much lesser Mongol forces in the creation and control of the Mongol empire. The Mongol Empire ( Mongolyn Ezent Güren or mn Их Mонгол улс Ikh Mongol Uls; 1206–1368 was the largest contiguous Empire The other is the use of terrorism by the superior Nazi forces in the Balkans, in their attempt to suppress the resistance movement. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German

Examples of asymmetric warfare

The American Revolutionary War

From its very beginning, the American Revolutionary War was, necessarily, a showcase for asymmetric techniques. In the 1920s, Harold Murdock of Boston attempted to solve the puzzle of the first shots fired on Lexington Green, and came to the suspicion that the few score militia men who gathered before sunrise to await the arrival of hundreds of well-prepared British soldiers were sent specifically to provoke an incident which could be used for propaganda purposes. The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. ^[5] The return of the British force to Boston following the search operations at Concord was subject to constant skirmishing, using partisan forces gathered from communities all along the route, making maximum use of the terrain (particularly trees and stone field walls) to overcome the limitations of their weapons- muskets with an effective range of only about 50-70 metres. Skirmishers are Infantry or Cavalry Soldiers stationed ahead or alongside of a larger body of friendly troops Throughout the war, skirmishing tactics against British troops on the move continued to be a key factor in Patriot success; however, they may also have encouraged the occasional incidents, particularly in the later stages, where British troops used alleged surrender violations as a justification for killing large numbers of captives (e. This article concerns Patriots in the American Revolution. For other uses see Patriot (disambiguation. g. Waxhaw and Groton Heights). Background Colonel Abraham Buford led a force of between 350 and 380 Virginian Continentals - the 3rd Virginia Detachment (composed of the 7th Background During the war the harbor on the Thames River was a home port for many privately owned ships many of them armed

Another feature of the long march from Concord was the urban warfare technique of using buildings along the route as additional cover for snipers, which provoked the logical response from the British force- destruction of the buildings. When Patriot forces forced their way into Norfolk, Virginia, and used waterfront buildings as cover for shots at British vessels out in the river, the response of destruction of those buildings was ingeniously used to the advantage of the Patriots, who encouraged the spread of fire throughout the largely Loyalist town, and spread propaganda blaming it on the British. Norfolk is an Independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States Shortly afterwards they destroyed the remaining houses, on the grounds that they might provide cover for British soldiers. On the subject of propaganda, it should be borne in mind that, contrary to the impression given in one very popular American movie, British forces never adopted the most effective response to partisan-style asymmetric warfare; retribution massacres of groups selected on a semi-random basis from the population at large.

The Patriots also adopted a form of asymmetric sea warfare, by using small, fast vessels to avoid the Royal Navy, and capturing or sinking large numbers of merchant ships; however the British responded by issuing letters of marque permitting private armed vessels to undertake reciprocal attacks on enemy shipping. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) A letter of marque is an official warrant or commission from a Government authorizing the designated agent to search seize or destroy specified assets John Paul Jones became notorious in Britain for his expedition from France in the little sloop of war Ranger in April 1778, during which, in addition to his attacks on merchant shipping, he made two landings on British soil. John Paul Jones ( &ndash) was America's first well-known naval hero in the American Revolutionary War. Year 1778 ( MDCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or The effect of these raids, particularly when coupled with his capture of the Royal Navy's HMS Drake- the first such success in British waters, but not Jones's last- was to force the British government to increase resources for coastal defence, and to create a climate of fear among the British public which was subsequently fed by press reports of his preparations for the 1779 Bonhomme Richard mission. HMS Drake was a twenty-gun Sloop-of-war of the Royal Navy. Originally named Resolution, she was purchased in 1777. Year 1779 ( MDCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

From 1776, the conflict turned increasingly into a proxy war on behalf of France, following a strategy proposed in the 1760s but initially resisted by the idealistic young King Louis XVI, who came to the throne at the age of 19 a few months before Lexington. Year 1776 ( MDCCLXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a France, despite its financial difficulties used the occasion of the American Revolutionary War (1776–1781 to weaken its arch-rival in European and world Louis XVI ( 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) Louis-Auguste de France, ruled as King of France and Navarre France also encouraged proxy wars against the British in India, but ultimately drove itself to the brink of state bankruptcy by entering the war(s) directly, on several fronts throughout the world. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The later entry of Spain (and the Dutch Republic, providing a lesson on the limits of neutrality which the Americans had to learn for themselves in 1812) into the war, against Britain but not for America, effectively reversed the asymmetry- most obviously from August to October 1781- and an interesting aspect of this war is what might be described as an asymmetric peace, in which America and Spain received almost everything they demanded, but were forced into conflict with each other, while France and the Dutch Republic both did so badly that they suffered total state collapse within a few years. Spain entered the American Revolutionary War as an ally of France in June 1779 a renewal of the Bourbon Family Compact. "United Netherlands" redirects here For the "Kingdom of the United Netherlands" see United Kingdom of the Netherlands. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies Year 1781 ( MDCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

The Vendée revolt

The revolutionary government which emerged from the French state collapse in 1789 became notorious for the "Reign of Terror" in which thousands of opponents of the state, or of individuals claiming loyalty to the state, were executed. Saint justjpg|thumbnail|200px| Louis Antoine Léon de Saint-Just]] The Reign of Terror' (5 September 1793 &ndash 28 July 1794 or simply The Terror (la Terreur was In 1793 a counter-revolutionary movement arose in the Vendée region of western France, which very effectively used against the Government forces the sort of tactics seen in the American revolution. The War in Vendée ( 1793 to 1796) was a Civil war in Vendée between Royalists and Republicans during the French The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The official response to this was at the time called "populicide"- the extermination of the "rebel race" (though "good citizens" were to be sent out of harm's way)^[6]. Announcing a genocidal intent was counter-productive, as the rebels were left with no choices but to kill or be killed, a fact which the government realised in the spring of 1794 after twelve columns of soldiers had been sent through the area, committing a wide variety of atrocities but failing to stop the revolt. ^[7] The Government's willingness to kill so many of its own citizens without trial was also a factor in its own brutal end in July 1794.

20th century asymmetric warfare

Second Boer War

The Second Boer War was the first major war of the 20th century and one in which asymmetric warfare featured prominently. The Boer Commando was the basic unit of organisation of the Militia of the Boer people of South Africa. See also First Boer War,, South African Wars (1879-1915 The Second Boer War ( Dutch: Tweede Boerenoorlog, Afrikaans: After an initial phase, which was fought by both sides as a conventional war, the British captured Johannesburg, the Boers' largest city, and captured the capitals of the two Boer Republics. Johannesburg ( Pronounced /jō-hān'ĭs-bûrg'/ is the largest city in South Africa. The Boer Republics (sometimes also referred to as Boer states were independent self-governed Republics created by the Dutch -speaking (proto Afrikaans) inhabitants The British then expected the Boers to accept peace as dictated by the victors in the traditional European way. However instead of capitulating, the Boers fought a protracted guerrilla war. Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc Between twenty and thirty thousand Boer commandos were only defeated after the British brought to bear four hundred and fifty thousand troops, about ten times as many as were used in the conventional phase of the war. In Military science, the term commando can refer to an individual a Military unit, or a raiding style of military operation. Conventional warfare is a form of Warfare conducted by using conventional military weapons and battlefield tactics between two or more states in open confrontation During this phase the British introduced internment in concentration camps for the Boer civilian population and also implemented a scorched earth policy. Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method (possibly more often referred to as a tactic but this is not entirely correct as there is a difference between Later, the British began using blockhouses built within machine gun range of one another and flanked by barbed wire to slow the Boers' movement across the countryside and block paths to valuable targets. In Military science, a blockhouse is a small isolated Fort in the form of a single building For other uses of the phrase see Machine Gun (disambiguation. Barbed wire, also known as barb wire (and frequently in dialect form spelled bob or bobbed) is a type of fencing Wire constructed Such tactics eventually evolved into today's counter insurgency tactics. See also Insurgency In the context of an occupation or a Civil war, counter-insurgency (abbreviated COIN is a military term for the combat

The Boer commando raids deep into the Cape Colony, which were organized and commanded by Jan Smuts, resonated throughout the century as the British and others adopted and adapted the tactics used by the Boer commandos in later conflicts. The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 with the founding of Cape Town. Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts, OM, CH, PC, ED, KC, FRS (24 May 1870 &ndash 11 September 1950 was a prominent

World War I

• Lawrence of Arabia and British support for the Arab uprising against the Ottoman Empire. The Arab Revolt (1916&ndash1918 ( الثورة العربية Al-Thawra al-`Arabīya) was initiated by the Sherif Hussein ibn Ali with the aim of securing

Post-World War I

• Abd el-Krim led resistance in Morocco from 1920 to 1924 against French and Spanish colonial armies ten times as strong as the guerilla force, led by General Petain. Abd el-Krim (c1882 Ajdir &ndash February 6, 1963, Cairo) ( Mulay Abdelkrim, full name Muhammad Ibn 'Abd El-Karim El-Khattabi
• TIGR, the first antifascist national-defensive organization in Europe, fought against Mussolini's regime in North-East Italy. TIGR, abbreviation for T rst ( Trieste) I stra ( Istria) G orica ( Gorizia) and R eka ( Rijeka) was

World War II

• Winter War - Finland opposed an invasion by the Soviet Union
• Warsaw Uprising - Poland (Home Army Armia Krajowa) rose up against the German occupation

Britain

• British Commandos and European coastal raids. The Winter War (Talvisota Советско-финляндская война - official Зимняя война - unofficial Vinterkriget began when the The Warsaw Uprising ( Powstanie Warszawskie) was a World War II struggle by the Polish Home Army ( Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw The British Commandos were first formed by the British Army in June 1940 during World War II as a well-armed but non-regimental raider force employing unconventional German countermeasures and the notorious Commando Order. The Commando Order was a secret order issued by Adolf Hitler on October 18, 1942 stating that all Commandos found in Europe and
• Long Range Desert Group and the SAS in Africa and later in Europe. The Long Range Desert Group ( LRDG) was a British Army unit during World War II. The Special Air Service ( SAS) is a Special forces regiment within the British Army which has served as a model and inspiration for the special
• South East Asian Theatre: Wingate and, Chindits. The South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was the name given to the campaigns of the Pacific War in India, Thailand, Major-General Orde Charles Wingate, DSO and two bars ( February 26, 1903 &ndash March 24, 1944) was a The Chindits (Officially in 1942 77th Indian Infantry Brigade and in 1943 Indian 3rd Infantry Division) were a British Indian Army "Special Force" that served Force 136, V Force
• Special Operations Executive (SOE)

United States

• Office of Strategic Services (OSS)
• China Burma India Theatre: Merrill's Marauders and OSS Detachment 101

Post-World War II

• United States Military Assistance Command Studies and Observations Group (US MAC-V SOG) in Vietnam
• United States support of the Nicaraguan Contras

Cold War

The end of World War II established the two most powerful victors, the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR, or just the Soviet Union) as the two dominant world superpowers. Force 136 was the general cover name for a branch of the British World War II organization the Special Operations Executive (SOE V Force was a reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering organisation established by the British during the Burma Campaign in World War II. The Special Operations Executive ( SOE) (sometimes referred to as "the Baker Street Irregulars " after Sherlock Holmes ' fictional group of helpers The Office of Strategic Services ( OSS) was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. China Burma India Theater (CBI (later IBT or India-Burma theater was the name used by the United States Army for its forces operating in conjuction with Allied air Merrill’s Marauders, officially named the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional, was a United States Long range penetration Special forces unit Detachment 101 of the Office of Strategic Services operated in the China Burma India Theater of World War II. The Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observations Group ( MACV-SOG) was a highly classified multi-service United States Special Forces unit Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially The Contras is a label given to the various rebel groups opposing Nicaragua 's FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional Sandinista Junta of National World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 A superpower is a State with a leading position in the international system and the ability to Influence events and project power on a worldwide scale

Cold War examples of proxy wars

See also proxy war

An example of war by proxy was East Germany's covert support for the Red Army Faction (RAF) which was active from 1968 and carried out a succession of terrorist attacks in West Germany during the 1970s and to a lesser extent in the 1980s. A proxy war is the war that results when two powers use third parties as substitutes for fighting each other directly The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state The Red Army Faction or RAF ( German Rote Armee Fraktion) (in its early stages commonly known as Baader-Meinhof Group ''Gang'' was one Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. After German reunification in 1990, it was discovered that the RAF had received financial and logistic support from the Stasi, the security and intelligence organization of East Germany. German reunification (Deutsche Wiedervereinigung took place twice after 1945 first in 1957 the Saarland was permitted to join the Federal Republic of Germany Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Logistics is the management of the flow of Goods, Information and other resources including Energy and people between the point of origin and the point For the regular police in East Germany see Volkspolizei. The Ministerium für Staatssicherheit ( Ministry for State Security It had also given several RAF terrorists shelter and new identities. It had not been in the interests of either the RAF or the East Germans to be seen as co-operating. The apologists for the RAF argued that they were striving for a true socialist (communist) society not the sort that existed in Eastern Europe. The East German government was involved in Ostpolitik, and it was not in its interest to be caught overtly aiding a terrorist organization operating in West Germany. Ostpolitik ( German for Eastern Politics) describes the politics of the "Change Through Rapprochement" principle &mdash as verbalized by Egon Bahr For more details see the History of Germany since 1945. As a consequence of Germany 's defeat in World War II and the onset of the Cold War, the country was split between the two global blocs in the East and West

In the Korean War the Soviet Union aided the Communists in North Korea and China against the United Nations forces led by the United States, but the Soviet Union did not enter the war directly. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the

In the Vietnam War the Soviet Union supplied North Vietnam and the Viet Cong with training, logistics and materiel but unlike the United States Armed Forces they fought the war through their proxies and did not enter the conflict directly. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN or less commonly Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa was a Country on the northern half of Vietnam Materiel (from the French "matériel" for equipment or hardware related to the word Material) is a term used in English to refer to the The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States

The war between the mujahadeen and the Red Army during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was a classic asymmetric war. A Mujahid (Arabic ar مجاهد, literally "struggler" is a Muslim involved in a Jihad, id est fighting in a war or The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya The Soviet war in Afghanistan, also known as the Soviet-Afghan War or just the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, was a nine-year conflict involving The aid given by the U.S. to the mujahadeen during the war was only covert at the tactical level, the Reagan Administration told the world that it was helping the freedom-loving people of Afghanistan. Operation Cyclone was the code name for the United States Central Intelligence Agency program to arm the Afghan Mujahideen during the The United States Presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan Administration, was a Republican administration headed by Of all the proxy wars fought by the USA against the USSR during the Cold War this was the most cost effective and politically successful, as it was the USSR's most humiliating military defeat, and that defeat was a contributing factor to the implosion of the Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the

During the Croatian War of Independence - Operation Flash and Operation Storm are examples of intentional asymmetric warfare. The Croatian War of Independence was a War in Croatia from 1991 to 1995 Operation Flash (Operacija Bljesak was a brief and successful offensive conducted in the beginning of May 1995 by the Croatian Army, which removed Serb Krajina forces Operation Storm ( Croatian: Operacija Oluja, Serbian Cyrillic: Oпeрaциja Oлуja was the Code name given to a large-scale military operation

Post-Cold War

In the rivalry that arose during the Cold War, small powers, especially those described as composing the Third World, were able to seek protection from one power or the other, or play the powers off against each other, to try to achieve their own national or regional goals. Third World is a name given to nations that are generally considered to be underdeveloped economically

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, powers that had been client states of the Soviet Union, states that were able to gain aid and support from the United States as bulwarks against Soviet power, and states that had successfully played the superpowers against each other, found themselves with fewer options to oppose the USA or gain material advantages from either of the former rivals.

21st century

Israel/Palestinians

The battle between the Israelis and Palestinians is a classic case of asymmetrical warfare. Palestinian people or Palestinians ( الشعب الفلسطيني, ash-sha`b al-filasTīni; الفلسطينيون, al-filasTīnīyyūn Israel has a powerful conventional army, while the Palestinians do not have a regular army; instead, organizations (such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad) utilize asymmetric tactics, principally cross-border sniping and rocket attacks, but also including suicide bombing, to combat the larger, more well equipped Israeli forces. Ḥamas (ar حركة حماس acronym ar حركة المقاومة This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons ^[8] The Palestinians deploy their forces inside civilian areas in an attempt to prevent Israel from responding with conventional forces and tactics. Israel tends to use focused targeting tactics, including intelligence-based strikes on individual leaders, and assigns the responsibility for any resulting civilian casualties to Palestinian forces for their use of human shielding. Human shield is a military and political term describing the presence of civilians in or around combat targets to deter an enemy from attacking those targets In addition, Israel has adopted policies of restricting Palestinian movement, using physical barriers ^[9] and of collective punishment, by restricting supplies to Palestinian territories. Collective punishment is the Punishment of a group of people as a result of the behaviour of one or more other individuals or groups ^[10]

Iraq

The victory by the U. S. led coalition forces in the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, demonstrated that training, tactics and technology can provide overwhelming victories in the field of battle during modern conventional warfare. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia After Saddam Hussein's regime was removed from power and the 2003 Occupation of Iraq began, the Iraq campaign moved into a different type of asymmetric warfare where the coalition's use of superior conventional warfare training, tactics and technology were of much less use against continued opposition from the various insurgent groups operating inside Iraq. Iraq War|2007 in Iraq|2008 in IraqThe post-invasion period in Iraq

Guantanamo Bay detention camp

The US government has used the term to describe the suicide of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp:

. The Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp is a controversial United States Detention center operated by Joint Task Force Guantanamo since 2002 in Guantanamo . . two Saudis and a Yemeni were "committed" and had killed themselves in "an act of asymmetric warfare waged against us". ^[11]

See also

• Asymmetric Warfare Group
• Counter-terrorism
• Fourth generation warfare
• Guerrilla warfare
• Irregular military
• List of guerrillas
• Low-intensity operations
• Management of Savagery
• Military use of children
• Partisan (military)
• Resistance movement
• Unconventional warfare
• Unrestricted Warfare (book)

References

Further reading

Articles

• Christopher Hemmer, "Responding to a Nuclear Iran" [1]
• Robert B. Asprey, "War in the Shadows, The Guerilla in History", William Morrow, 1994, ISBN 0-688-12815-7, 1279 pages. Authoritative survey from Darius the Great to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Darius I the Great (c 549 BC&ndash486 BC 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 Dārayavahuš: "Possessing goodness" Having ascended to power amidst controversy and bloodshed Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت,
• Robert D. Kaplan, "The Coming Anarchy", The Atlantic Monthly, 1994?. Robert D Kaplan (born 1953 is an American Journalist, currently an editor for the Atlantic Monthly.
• Barbara Tuchman, "The Proud Tower, Europe 1880–1914" re: anarchist assassins. Barbara Wertheim Tuchman ( January 30, 1912 &ndash February 6, 1989) was an American self-trained Historian and author
• UN reports on use of child soldiers as assassins. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security
• Sun Tzu 6.
• Mackey, Robert R. (2004). The UnCivil War: Irregular Warfare in the Upper South, 1861–1865. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 0-8061-3624-3. Asymmetric warfare as practiced by the Confederate States in the American Civil War. Includes detailed information of U. S. Army counter-irregular operations as well as CSA irregulars.

Bibliographies

• Compiled by Joan T. Phillips Bibliographer at Air University Library: A Bibliography of Asymmetric Warfare, August 2005. The United States Air Force Air University (AU is a component of the United States Air Force 's Air Education and Training Command, headquartered at Maxwell Air Includes this definition: Asymmetric warfare includes "threats outside the range of conventional warfare and difficult to respond to in kind (e. g. , a suicide bomber)" ― Dictionary of Military Terms.
• Asymmetric Warfare and the Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) Debate sponsored by the Project on Defense Alternatives

Books

• Arreguin-Toft, Ivan, How the Weak Win Wars: A Theory of Asymmetric Conflict, New York & Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2005 ISBN 0-521-54869-1
• Barnett, Roger W. , Asymmetrical Warfare: Today's Challenge to U. S. Military Power, Washington D. C. , Brassey's, 2003 ISBN 1-57488-563-4
• Bing, Stanley, Sun Tzu Was a Sissy: Conquer Your Enemies, Promote Your Friends, and Wage the Real Art of War, New York, HarperCollins, 2004 ISBN 0-06-073477-9
• Crawford, George, Manhunting: Reversing the Polarity of Warfare, Baltimore, PublishAmerica, 2008 ISBN 1-6-441-332-8
• Friedman, George, America's Secret War: Inside the Hidden Worldwide Struggle between the United States and Its Enemies, London, Little, Brown, 2004 ISBN 0-316-72862-4
• General Sir Rupert Smith, "The Utility of Force: The art of war in the modern world", Allen Lane, 2006. Manhunting Reversing the Polarity of Warfare, ISBN 1-60441-332-8 a book on Irregular warfare by veteran Special operations Intelligence officer George Friedman is an American Political scientist and author
• Giap, Vo Nguyen, People's War, People's Army, Honolulu, University Press of the Pacific, 2001 ISBN 0-89875-371-6
• Guevara, Ernesto "Che", Guerrilla Warfare, Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press, 1998 ISBN 0-8032-7075-5
• Kaplan, Robert D., Warrior Politics: Why Leadership Demands a Pagan Ethos, New York, Vintage, 2003 ISBN 0-375-72627-6
• Jon Latimer, Burma: The Forgotten War, London: John Murray, 2004 ISBN 0-7195-6576-6
• Liang, Qiao and Wang Xiangsui, Unrestricted Warfare: China's Master Plan to Destroy America, Panama City, Pan American Publishing Company, 2002 ISBN 0-9716807-2-8
• Metz, Steven and Douglas V. Ernesto "Che" Guevara (June 14 Following the Cuban revolution,Guevara reviewed Robert D Kaplan (born 1953 is an American Journalist, currently an editor for the Atlantic Monthly. Jon Latimer (1964 -) is an historian and writer based in Wales. Wang Xiangsui (王湘穗 is a senior Colonel in the People’s Liberation Army. Unrestricted Warfare (超限战 literally "warfare beyond bounds" is a book on Military strategy written in 1999 by two Colonels in the Steven Kent Metz (born June 30, 1956 in Charleston West Virginia) is an American author Chairman of the Regional Strategy and Planning Department and Johnson II, Asymmetry and U. S. Military Strategy: Definition, Background, and Strategic Concepts, Carlisle Barracks, Strategic Studies Institute/U. S. Army War College, 2001 ISBN 1-58487-041-9 [2]
• Poole, H. John, Tactics of the Crescent Moon: Militant Muslim Combat Methods, Emerald Isle, NC, Posterity Press, 2004 ISBN 0-9638695-7-4
• Sun Tzu, The Art of War, New York, Dover Publications, 2002 ISBN 0-486-42557-6
• Tse-Tung, Mao, On Guerrilla Warfare, Champaign, IL, University of Illinois Press, 2000 ISBN 0-252-06892-0

Articles and papers

• Ivan Arreguin-Toft, "How the Weak Win Wars: A Theory of Asymmetric Conflict", International Security, Vol. H John Poole is an American military author and Marine combat veteran of Vietnam, specializing in small unit and individual tactics. Sun Tzu ( ("Master Sun" also called Sun Wu ( is traditionally considered to be the author of The Art of War (also simply called the Mao Zedong ( 26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese Military and political leader who led 26, No. 1 (Summer 2001), pp. 93–128.
• J. Paul Dunne, et al. , "Managing Asymmetric Conflict," Oxford Economic Papers, Vol. 58 (2006), pp. 183–208.
• C. A. "Bert" Fowler Asymmetric Warfare: A Primer -- IEEE Spectrum, March, 2006. IEEE Spectrum is a Magazine edited by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. A mathematical approach to the concept.
• Marcus Corbin Reshaping the Military for Asymmetric Warfare CDI website October 5, 2001. The Center for Defense Information (CDI is an organization founded in 1972 by U Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople
• Vincent J. Goulding, Jr. Back to the Future with Asymmetric Warfare From Parameters, Winter 2000–01, pp. 21–30.
• Andrew J. R. Mack, "Why Big Nations Lose Small Wars: The Politics of Asymmetric Conflict", World Politics, Vol. 27, No. 2 (January 1975), pp. 175–200.
• Montgomery C. Meigs Unorthodox Thoughts about Asymmetric Warfare (PDF)
• Richard Norton-Taylor Asymmetric Warfare: Military Planners Are Only Beginning to Grasp the Implications of September 11 for Future Deterrence Strategy, in The Guardian, October 3, 2001
• Michael Novak, "Asymmetrical Warfare" & Just War: A Moral Obligation in NRO, February 10, 2003
• Toni Pfanner, Asymmetrical warfare from the perspective of humanitarian law and humanitarian action, International Review of the Red Cross Vol. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Michael Novak (born September 9 1933) is an American Catholic philosopher journalist novelist and diplomat National Review ( NR) is a biweekly Magazine and Web site, founded by the late author William F Events 1355 - The St Scholastica's Day riot breaks out in Oxford, England, leaving 63 scholars and perhaps 30 locals dead 87 No. 857 (March 2005), p. 149-174.
• Sullivan, Patricia. 2007. War Aims and War Outcomes: Why Powerful States Lose Limited Wars Journal of Conflict Resolution 51 (3):496-524.
• Jonathan B. Tucker Asymmetric Warfare, a 6 page analysis, Summer 1999.
• Asymmetry and other fables, Jane's Defence Weekly, 18 August 2006
• David Buffaloe 'Defining Asymmetric Warfare' [3] September 2006
• Gates Assails Pentagon on Resources for Battlefields Washington Post April 22, 2008

The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

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