On Culture: Know the Enemy and Know Thyself - Giap, Abrams, and Victory
Abstract
The US Army's capstone doctrine on unified land warfare states that leaders must be culturally astute. How does a military leader become culturally astute and for what purpose? Understanding culture, especially one's own culture, is not just a branch specific duty; it is every US Army leader's responsibility. Becoming culturally astute requires knowing oneself and one's enemy, which is not merely an analysis of military capabilities, but a deeper philosophical and cultural understanding of identity, which may influence or even drive certain behaviors. Knowing oneself is not an intuitive judgment, but a deliberate analysis of one's society, military organization, and personal identity. Understanding one's cultural identity and an adversary's cultural identity enables leaders to better anticipate future action. The author conducted a case study of General Vo Nguyen Giap and General Creighton Abrams to analyze the relationships between society's cultural influences, organizational influences, personal identity, and behavior. The US Army's fundamental solution towards readiness should include a process for cultural understanding for all US Army leaders.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 26, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1022023
Entities
People
- Daijiro Kanase
Organizations
- School of Advanced Military Studies