Compound Warfare: That Fatal Knot
Abstract
Compound warfare (CW) is the simultaneous use of a regular or main force and an irregular or guerrilla force against an enemy. In other words, the CW operator increases his military leverage by applying both conventional and unconventional force at the same time. This collection contains studies of conflicts that occurred in three different centuries and in many different social, political, economic, and military environments. While the cases examined are dissimilar in numerous ways, they are linked by the presence within them of some variant of compound warfare. Dr. Michael D. Pearlman's essay on 18th century Indian wars describes an environment in which a wide variety of military operators were interacting. Pearlman concludes that French and British adversaries both employed elements of compound warfare. Dr. Jerry D. Morelock's study evaluates George Washington's achievement as a main force commander in a compound warfare environment. Dr. Thomas M. Huber's analysis of Napoleon's long campaign in Spain illuminates the ingenious methods of the phenomenon practiced by the Duke of Wellington. Dr. Jerold E. Brown's treatment of Indian warfare on the Great Plains explores lost opportunities of the U.S. Army to employ compound warfare methods. Dr. John T. Broom's article on the Anglo-Irish conflict (1919) analyzes the multiple pressures the Irish independence movement sought to apply to the British. Dr. Gary J. Bjorge's analysis of the Huai Hai campaign shows how Mao Zedong, one of the modern masters of compound warfare, brought its tenets to bear against Chiang Kai-shek in the Chinese civil war. Randall N. Briggs' view of the American experience in Vietnam sheds light on the complex problems the United States faced in the compound warfare environment there and how America tried to resolve those problems. Dr. Robert F. Baumann's essay on the Soviet war in Afghanistan surveys Afghan tribesmen using compound warfare methods effectively against the Soviet Union.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA481548
Entities
People
- Gary J. Bjorge
- Jerold E. Brown
- Jerry D. Morelock
- John T. Broom
- Michael D. Pearlman
- Randall N. Briggs
- Robert F. Baumann
- Thomas M. Huber
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College