Counterinsurgency Warfare Essay

1470 Words6 Pages
Victor A. Huber 2LT, IN 3/B 3-7IN Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice by David Galula outlines the factors that are necessary to make both an insurgency and a counterinsurgency effective. It breaks each of them down to a science with step-by-step methods for reaching the desired end-state in each type of operation. Galula does not focus on one particular insurgency or counterinsurgency in history; instead he attempts to describe both in general terms and his theories are applicable to all insurgencies and counterinsurgencies. Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice concentrates on the critical factors that make any particular insurgency or counterinsurgency successful and then takes it a step further by showing exactly how an insurgency begins, gains momentum, and eventually succeeds and then does the same with the opposite side of the fight, the counterinsurgency. Galula begins by defining an insurgency and explaining exactly what it is and is not. “Unlike a war, only the insurgent can start hostilities. War is a continuation of policy; insurgency is pursuit of a policy.” Galula goes on to explain that an insurgency cannot be beaten with the use of conventional warfare tactics and tangible military assets. For example, during the American Revolution the Americans were the insurgents and they were fighting for their freedom against the British who were a military superpower at the time. The British tried to use conventional tactics against the Americans and failed because the Americans knew that a conventional battle would be hopeless for them. The Americans resorted to guerilla warfare and conducted a long drawn out fight to outlast the British and eventually break their will to wage war. This was extremely effective and eventually led to a victory for the insurgents (the
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