Week 15: Tuesday, April 29
Are We Fighting a Small War Badly?: In a photo taken in 2005, members of the 101st Airborne prepare to enter a house in Bayji, Iraq.
Many observers and historians have drawn parallels between the Algerian War (1954-1962) and the current American involvement in Iraq. Needless to say, the situations are not identical or even analogous. Nevertheless, the French experience in Algeria has much to teach about modern insurgencies and counterinsurgencies. The reading by Roger Trinquier, who fought in Algeria, is considered by American experts in counterinsurgency as a classic text.
1) According to Cassidy, why do great powers fight small wars badly?
2) How does Trinquier define "modern war." What is the goal of modern war? What is the role of terrorism in modern war?
3) How is the terrorist different from the traditional soldier? How is he similar? What must the authorities do when they capture a terrorist? What does Trinquier claim the terrorist must accept as a "condition inherent in his trade"?
4) What strategy must the forces of order adopt with regard to the general population to curb terrorism?
5) So far as Trinquier is concerned, what difficulties will the authorities find in waging modern warfare in a major city?
6) According to Davis, what is at the heart of the information-based revolution in military affairs? What will this information technology allow us to do that we couldn't do before?
Other Questions
1) Why is modern war of the sort Trinquier discussing unlimited?
Roger Trinquier (1908-1986) is considered one of the major modern theorists of counterinsurgency theory. Much of his theory was based on practical experience. Originally an officer in the French Marines, he fought Chinese bandits in Northern Indochina, served in the International Concession in Shanghai, and commanded a Marine company in charge of protecting the French embassy in Peking during the late 1930s when the Japanese had invaded China and the situation in the Far East was incredibly turbulent. During World War II, he was transferred back to Shanghai where he served the Vichy French government. After the end of World War II, he became a paratrooper, and in 1948, he was sent to Indochina as the French sought to defend their colonial empire against the Viet Minh. While in Indochina, he became the leader of pro-French, Indochinese guerrillas who proved highly successful at disrupting Viet Minh operations. Shortly after the French defeat in Indochina, he was sent to Algeria where the French faced another insurgency, this time conducted by the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN), an organization that sought to obtain independence for Algeria. During the Algerian War (1954-1962), Trinquier obtained extensive experience in counterinsurgency operations in both urban and rural areas. After his retirement in 1961, he turned to writing, and his book, Modern Warfare (1961) has become a classic among those who study counterinsurgency.
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Copyrighted by Hugh Dubrulle, 2006.