Awaiting an Enemy: The Operational Significance of Politically Induced Force Reductions to Parity in Central Europe

Abstract

History is replete with evidence of how change in political economic, and social conditions forge alterations in a nation's military posture. Today, the forces of change are rampant, especially in NATO's Central European theater. Recent Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) arms reduction proposals have rekindled disarmament debate and have caused the military leadership to reassess Alliance defense initiatives in view of vague changing conditions. This monograph examines how the CFE negotiations will impact on future military operations. The study's primary focus will analyze how post-CFE treaty limitations (e.g. geographic dispersion and parity between NATO and WP forces) will tend to influence two broad operational concepts of warfare--war by maneuver or by attrition. Naturally, both concepts are important, interrelated, and situationally dependent; however, a shifting emphasis may be warranted to properly align military operations with the ends of national policy.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 10, 1990
Accession Number
ADA234166

Entities

People

  • James L. Moody

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Arms Control
  • Central Europe
  • Eastern Europe
  • Governments
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Military Operations
  • Military Strategy
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Nato
  • Second World War
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Economics
  • European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.