One of the world's leading authorities on war and international politics synthesizes the vast history of strategy's evolution in this consistently engaging and surprising account of how it came to pervade every aspect of life.
The book explores the evolving nature of warfare, suggesting that future adversaries will adopt unconventional strategies to counter the Western Way of Warfare. It emphasizes the necessity for the West to adapt to these new tactics, focusing not only on achieving victory but also on maintaining ethical standards in conflict. The analysis highlights the complexities and moral implications of modern warfare, urging a reevaluation of how military success is defined and pursued in an increasingly unpredictable global landscape.
War and Diplomacy
The second volume delves into the Falklands Campaign, offering a comprehensive and authoritative narrative of a pivotal moment in British political history. Freedman vividly depicts the dynamics of a government engaged in warfare, highlighting the complexities and challenges faced during this extraordinary period.
The Origins of the Falklands War
Exploring the origins of the 1982 war, this book delves into the complex historical dispute between Argentina and Britain regarding the sovereignty of the islands. It highlights the challenges encountered by both governments in their attempts to reconcile their differing claims and perspectives, providing a comprehensive understanding of the geopolitical tensions that have shaped this enduring conflict.
Throughout history, the concept of command - as both a way to achieve objectives and as an assertion of authority - has been essential to military action and leadership. But, as Sir Lawrence Freedman shows, it is also deeply political. Military command has been reconstructed and revolutionized since the Second World War by nuclear warfare, small-scale guerrilla land operations and cyber interference. Freedman takes a global perspective, systematically investigating its practice and politics since 1945 through a wide range of conflicts from the French Colonial Wars, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bangladesh Liberation War to North Vietnam's Easter Offensive of 1972, the Falklands War, the Iraq War and Russia's wars in Chechnya and Ukraine. By highlighting the political nature of strategy, Freedman shows that military decision-making cannot be separated from civilian priorities and that commanders must now have the sensibility to navigate politics as well as warfare.
One of the world's leading authorities on war and international politics synthesizes the vast history of strategy's evolution in this consistently engaging and surprising account of how it came to pervade every aspect of life.
It is in the Middle East that the U.S. has been made to confront its attitudes on the use of force, the role of allies, and international law. The history of the U.S. in the Middle East, then, becomes an especially revealing mirror on America's view of its role in the wider world. In this wise, objective, and illuminating history, Lawrence Freedman shows how three key events in 1978–79 helped establish the foundations for U.S. involvement in the Middle East that would last for thirty years, without offering any straightforward or bloodless exit options: the Camp David summit leading to the Israel-Egypt Treaty; the Iranian Islamic revolution leading to the Shah's departure followed by the hostage crisis; and the socialist revolution in Afghanistan, resulting in the doomed Soviet intervention.Freedman makes clear how America's strategic choices in those and subsequent crises led us to where we are today. A Choice of Enemies is essential reading for anyone concerned with the complex politics of the region or with the future of American foreign policy.
"This paper examines the difficulty the US armed forces face in shifting their focus from preparing for regular wars, in which combat is separated from civil society, to irregular wars, in which combat is integrated with civil society. It argues that the political context of contemporary irregular wars requires that the purpose and practice of Western forces be governed by liberal values. This is also the case with regular wars, to the extent that they occur, but it is the integration with civil society that makes the application of liberal values so challenging. It argues that this challenge becomes easier to meet when military operations are understood to contribute to the development of a compelling narrative about the likely course and consequence of a conflict, in which these values are shown to be respected. However, while it is vital that the employment of armed force remains sensitive at all times to the underlying political context and to the role of narratives in shaping this context, a key test of success will always be the defeat of the opposing forces. The application of this test in regular war remains straightforward; this is not the case with irregular war, which can be of long duration and contain frequent shifts in tempo and focus. The 'war on terror' has highlighted these issues and the paper concludes with suggestions for a strategic response."--Jacket
War makes headlines and history books. It has shaped the international system, prompted social change, and inspired literature, art, and music. It engenders some of the most intense as well as the most brutal human experiences, and it raises fundamental questions of human ethics. The ubiquitous, contradictory, and many-sided character of war is fully reflected in this reader. It addresses a wide range of questions: What are the causes of war? Which strategic as well as moral principles guide its conduct, and how have these changed? Has total war become unthinkable? What is the nature of contemporary conflict? How is war experienced by those on the front line? These and other key issues are examined through a variety of writings. Drawing on sources from numerous countries and disciplines, this reader includes accounts by generals, soldiers, historians, strategists, and poets, who consider conflicts from the Napoleonic Wars to Vietnam and Bosnia. The writing not only of great strategic thinkers but also of ordinary soldiers illustrates both the theory and the experience of war in its many guises.
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