Militias In Military Doctrine: Implications From The Southern Campaigns of The American Revolution 1779 -1781

Abstract

Throughout American military history, conventional forces have often relied on unconventional or militia forces to support their operational and tactical objectives. The use of militias in warfare has proven relevant and viable from the early American colonial period through current conflicts in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite the important, and sometimes central, role that militias have played throughout history, the use of militia forces receives little mention in our formal military doctrine. This essay will examine several historical accounts of how militias were employed in the Southern Campaigns during the American Revolutionary War; identify important lessons learned from each period, and offer recommendations for how to institutionalize the militia concept for inclusion into formal military doctrine.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 21, 2012
Accession Number
ADA601007

Entities

People

  • Zeb B. Beasley

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • American Revolution
  • Civil War
  • Conventional Warfare
  • Governments
  • Lessons Learned
  • Marine Corps
  • Marine Corps Operations
  • Military Doctrine
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • New York
  • North Carolina
  • South Carolina
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • Universities
  • Warfare

Fields of Study

  • History

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military and Counterinsurgency Studies.