From Stalemate to Settlement: Lessons for Afghanistan from Historical Insurgencies That Have Been Resolved Through Negotiations

Abstract

Insurgency has been the most common form of armed conflict since at least the end of World War II. Over the past decade, scholars, observers, and theorists of insurgency and counterinsurgency (COIN) amateur and professional alike have fiercely debated the subject. While the emphasis on how to win in COIN is understandable, especially from the perspective of those engaged in the fighting, the historical record is definitive. Unambiguous military victory by either insurgents or counterinsurgents is far from the norm. Indeed, the data reveal that more than half of all insurgencies have been settled through negotiation. Yet, the question remains: What steps must be taken to reach a negotiated settlement?

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2014
Accession Number
ADA594509

Entities

People

  • Christopher Edward Paul
  • Colin P. Clarke

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Civil War
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • International Law
  • International Relations
  • International Security
  • Military Science
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Personnel Management
  • Political Science
  • Political Systems
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • History
  • Sociology

Readers

  • International Relations and European Studies
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.