Ethnic Conflict: Imperatives for US Military Strategy

Abstract

It is no secret that American military strategists were roughly ejected from their comfort zones by the end of the Cold War. After decades of being securely anchored by the all-consuming struggle between democracy and communism, such individuals were suddenly cut loose from their bipolar moorings by the Soviet collapse. Since then it seems U.S. military strategists have been uncomfortably adrift, anxiously examining the new world order for a defining context to frame American military strategy. Recent fighting in Bosnia, Central Africa, and Kosovo seems to provide this context. Such outbreaks of internecine fighting present compelling evidence that ethnic warfare will be a major source of conflict in the new millennium. Therefore, if 21st century American military thinkers are to craft a successful strategy, they must address the imperatives of ethnic conflict. This paper discusses the theoretical imperatives, doctrinal imperatives, and force structure imperatives of ethnic warfare.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 26, 1999
Accession Number
ADA442528

Entities

People

  • Kurtis D. Lohide

Organizations

  • National War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Active Duty
  • Cold War
  • Combat Forces
  • Eastern Europe
  • Force Structure
  • Governments
  • Intervention
  • Military Strategy
  • Nations
  • New York
  • Personnel Management
  • Rules Of Engagement
  • Sectarian Violence
  • State Governments
  • United States
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Strategic Security Studies