War and Peace: Russia's Effective Blurring of Lines, Or Is It

Abstract

The annexation of Crimea in 2014 alarmed western security analysts. International media outlets reported stories of the little green men who waged a new form of warfare. These actions, combined with the emergence of the Gerasimov Doctrine led many to believe that Russian leaders had achieved success through Hybrid Warfare. Few analysts, however, looked at if these new tactics were actually new and if they were effective in achieving Russian national objectives. This research examines how effective Russian unconventional warfare efforts have been in three contemporary case studies. The case studies examined are the Russian-Estonia conflict in 2007, the August War with Georgia in 2008, and Russias conflict with Ukraine in 2014. Through analyzing Russian unconventional warfare activities in each of these case studies it is apparent that if Russia is placed in a certain strategic context then they are likely to utilize unconventional warfare in a predictable manner. Highlighting this blueprint enables strategic planners to better plan for and mitigate Russian unconventional warfare activities in the Baltic State.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2018
Accession Number
AD1098360

Entities

People

  • Stephen D. Deuble

Organizations

  • Air University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Civil War
  • Combat Areas
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Cyber Warfare
  • Cyberattacks
  • Disinformation Operations
  • Employment
  • Geography
  • Hybrid Warfare
  • Information Operations
  • International Law
  • International Relations
  • Military History
  • Military Organizations
  • Recreation
  • Treaties
  • Warfare

Readers

  • International Relations and Conflict Resolution
  • Strategic Security Studies