Paths to Victory: Lessons from Modern Insurgencies
Abstract
This research follows and expands a previous study that examined and compared the 30 insurgencies begun and completed worldwide between 1978 and 2008, published in 2010 as Victory Has a Thousand Fathers: Sources of Success in Counterinsurgency.1 This report supersedes that earlier publication in most respects. Like the original effort, the research documented here recounts the demonstrated effectiveness of a variety of counterinsurgency (COIN) concepts through case studies of insurgencies. However, the base of evidence has been expanded to 71 cases all of the insurgencies completed worldwide between 1944 and 2010. In addition to expanding the number and scope of the cases, the effort entailed broadening the accompanying analyses. All analyses conducted as part of the original effort are repeated, but several new ones have been added, including an analysis of the duration of insurgencies and of factors that are unique to cases involving support to the counterinsurgent force from an outside actor. This report presents findings from all the analyses and explains the study s case selection and methods. It also presents an overview and in-depth assessments of the key concepts, practices, and factors that feature prominently in successful COIN operations. The 41 new case studies are summarized in the companion volume, Paths to Victory: Detailed Insurgency Case Studies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA586471
Entities
People
- Beth Grill
- Christopher Edward Paul
- Colin P. Clarke
- Molly Dunigan
Organizations
- RAND Corporation