Coalition Warfare - Can the Gulf War-91 Be the Model for Future?
Abstract
Coalition warfare has been a common phenomenon in the history of human conflict. Nations join coalitions to safeguard as well as further their own interests. Although coalition adds to the fighting capabilities of the participants, it does not always ensure success. Coalition building requires political, diplomatic as well as military initiatives. Coalitions have to overcome tensions which appear as the participants' interests tend to diverge. The Gulf War-91 was the most recent example of a successful coalition war. Many factors - political, military as well as economic - contributed to its success. The coalition, led by the U.S., acted according to the U.N. resolutions to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. In many ways this was a unique coalition which could be formed and sustained only because of the positive contributions of all the related factors. This paper argues that such a situation would not prevail in any future crisis. It is therefore concluded that the Gulf War-91 may not be useful as a model for a future coalition.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 21, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA251261
Entities
People
- H. M. Choudhry
Organizations
- United States Army War College