Lecture 11

Question 1

Insurgency as a form of civil war

Answer 1

** For the exam, it is important to
understand insurgency as a form of
civil war which is defined by the
asymmetric balance of power
between the armed group(s) fighting
against the government and
government forces, with
government forces being much
stronger.**

Question 2

Basis of forms of war

Answer 2

Technology of warfare
Belligerents’ operational focus
Balances of power

Question 3

Theories of guerilla warfare/ people’s war theory

Answer 3

People’s war theory
“The people are like water and the army is like
fish”; revolutionary war is 80% political, 20%
military

Question 4

Theories of guerilla warfare / Foco theory

Answer 4

Guerilla warfare is a means to an end, political
power
Popular support is crucial
Foco theory of guerrilla warfare: small
vanguard can replace initial mobilization of
peasants
The fighting vanguard creates conditions for
revolution
Countryside is the battleground
Adapted into urban warfare doctrine by later
thinkers/insurgents

Question 5

WATCH DOCUMENTARY ON SLIDES (lecture 11)

Question 6

British counterinsurgency against communist insurgency in Malaya 1948-1960

Answer 6

Major Influences on COIN Doctrine
British counterinsurgency against communist insurgency in
Malaya, 1948-1960
Win “the hearts and minds of the Malayan people” (British
General Sir Gerald Templer)
Village police and local militias for civilian protection
Doctrine of “minimum force”
Carefully targeted violence
But, in practice many civilian deaths and atrocities

Question 7

French counterinsurgency in Indochina and Algeria, as theorized by David Galula, French military officer (1964)

Answer 7

Major Influences on COIN Doctrine
Four “laws” of COIN
1. Insurgency: competition for people’s support; counterinsurgency:
80% political, 20% military
2. Need to separate active minority supporting insurgency from
population
3. Need to provide security to population
4. Intensive efforts & massive resources applied area by area

Question 8

US military COIN doctrine

Answer 8

Collected, codified in the U.S. Army/Marine Corps COIN
Field Manual
Population-centric/Defense of population
(not enemy-centric/offensive action against enemy)
Use of small commando detachments (not large conventional force)
Focus on ground action (not airpower)
Contribution of civilian agencies
“Winning hearts and minds,” not coercive violence

Question 9

COIN goals and strategy

Answer 9

Counterinsurgents’ goals
Eliminate key insurgents and establish population control;
Then pursue political objectives
Counterinsurgents’ strategy: Clear-hold-build
Separate insurgents from civilians
Protect civilians against insurgents
Provide public goods to civilians

Question 10

concluding thoughts

Answer 10

To be fruitful, categorization should be linked to specific
questions that we want to answer
But, this sounds easier to do than it is
Beware of trends
Keywords can be the enemy of understanding
Concepts can be obstacles just as frequently as they help to
illuminate
Notice when there is politicization
Cut through conceptual fuzziness and slippage to have a chance of
understanding and explaining

Question 11

Three stages of warfare - peoples theory

Answer 11

Three stages of warfare
Organization, consolidation & preservation:
political education; clandestine action in rural
areas
Progressive expansion: guerrilla warfare;
liberated areas; attack on towns
Destruction of the enemy: mobile
warfare/conventional war; capture cities