Military Thinking Research Articles

The war against Ukraine through the prism of Russian military thought

ABSTRACT Over the past 2 years, since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, there have been very few studies that have examined the war from the perspective of Russian military thinking. To be able to more accurately predict ways in which the Russian way of war and force structure may change, it is essential to study the Russian military scientific discourse on the lessons of the war in Ukraine. Taking for granted that the Russians come to the same conclusions as Western observers can lead to mirror-imaging and will ignore the likely prospect that Russian lessons learned from the war will not coincide with those of Western military experts. This article contributes to the understanding of Russian military thinking with regard to the war by focusing on three key aspects. (1) The evolution of Russian thinking about indirect strategy. (2) The changing Russian perspective on the concept of non-contact war. (3) The Russian military discourse about the challenge posed by the increasingly transparent battlefield of contemporary wars.

Integration Model of Human Dimensions, Military Minds and Patriostism

Objective: The objectives of this study are to examine the key dimensions of military minds as a determining factor of human dimensions and patriotism among Malaysian Armed Forces personnel and the seconds objective is to test the extent of mediating effects of human dimensions with military minds and patriotism.This research used quantitative research methods to get the data from the respondent of this study. The dependent variable for this study is patriotism while heroism, clear behaviour, military decency, responsibility for equipment and military skills are the independent variable and talent is the mediating in this study.The population of this study is from the Malaysian Armed Forces personnel, consist of the Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Navy, and Royal Malaysian Air Forces, which accounted for 0.32% of the total Malaysian Armed Forces personnel in this country. The utilised partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method to analyse the data and obtain results for the hypotheses generated.The results indicate of this study to be the best practice for developing training methods for future military personnel towards societal impact 4.0 (IR).This research profound implications and contribution towards Malaysian Army as managing and cultivating human dimensions with military minds and patriotism among Malaysian Army to the attainment of mission in the organization In general, this study will be beneficial for Malaysian Armed Forces to understand the importance implications of integration model of human dimensions, military minds and patriostism.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Narratives within NATO’s Doctrines

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine reshaped global security norms, challenging the West with a strategy known as hybrid warfare. Rooted in Russia's military doctrine, this approach integrates both military and non-military means, labelled hybrid warfare in the West and non-linear warfare in Russia. Prioritizing psychological and cognitive influence, the New Generation Warfare emphasizes soft power. NATO responded by investing in strategic communications and exploring cognitive warfare as a potential sixth domain of war. Adversaries use intricate methods to manipulate civilian cognitive processes, relying on persuasive narratives. Like business corporations, nation-states now craft strategic narratives to shape political and military thinking, employing various narrative levels in information and cognitive warfare, including counter-narratives against hostile stories. This article provides a comprehensive review of the different perspectives on the role of narratives within defence and security strategies and doctrines of NATO. The qualitative methodology employed in this study focuses on understanding how narratives are perceived within the strategies of the alliance. The approach involves a comprehensive examination and comparison of narrative practices to uncover the evolution of NATO’s narrative concepts. The sources for this study encompass a range of materials, including official NATO strategy and doctrine papers. This article reveals that, over the period spanning from the 2003 to 2024, narratives have gained increasing significance for NATO. Initially regarded merely as a means to depict events in a preferred manner, narratives have evolved to play a pivotal role in shaping the alliance's strategy. They have transcended their initial role, now exerting influence on military operations and taking precedence at every level of NATO, from headquarters to the boots on the ground. It is highlighted in this article that NATO endeavours to align its actions with its values, aiming to establish credibility and legitimacy. NATO perceives a robust, multi-levelled, and ever-evolving narrative as an effective safeguard against hostile information and cognitive warfare.

Legal expertise and military strategy: Christine de Pizan on the laws of war

Abstract Christine de Pizan’s Book of the Deeds of Arms (ca 1410) constitutes an insightful attempt to integrate law and military strategy in a way that shows the hybridity of both domains. Her work both defends the role of neutral legal ‘experts’ and unveils the affinities between legal expertise and strategic military thinking.

The Role of the Palestinian Resistance in Invoking Yemeni Military Thought to Strike Israeli Strategies in the Southern Red Sea 1971-1973

The Role of the Palestinian Resistance in Invoking Yemeni Military Thought to Strike Israeli Strategies in the Southern Red Sea 1971-1973

Elemente ale puterii aeriene reflectate în evoluția artei militare românești

The emergence of the aircraft as a means of combat has changed both the strategies and the tactics of waging wars, determining in a relatively short time major changes at the level of the forces doctrines, organization and training, their management, as well as command and control arrangements. At the same time, the aircraft has proved to be an important vector of progress and human civilization in the technical, economic, social and cultural fields, playing an important role in both war and peace. The ability of the air force to fulfil its role in a war or in military operations depends on the science and skill in harnessing the components of air power. The evolution of these components over time is reflected by the history of military art, which highlights both continuity and tradition as well as innovation. Moreover, it points out the similarities and differences, draws the necessary conclusions, which, filtered by military thinking, give the opportunity to formulate new rules and principles to be inserted in military doctrines and regulations, in training and education plans, as well as in economic development strategies and policies, including the defence and aeronautical industries, both civilian and military. The Romanian aviation has adapted, since the first use of the aircraft as a weapon, to the new reality of the battlefield, and this article is aimed at presenting the evolution of the concepts of its use in the first half of the 20th century, the principles of the use of aviation in battle, as well as the lessons learned following the participation of the Romanian military aviation in the campaigns of the two world conflagrations. To meet this purpose, the method of studying historical documents is employed.

Elements of Air Power in the Romanian Military Art Evolution

The emergence of the aircraft as a means of combat has changed both the strategies and the tactics of waging wars, determining in a relatively short time major changes at the level of the forces doctrines, organization and training, their management, as well as command and control arrangements. At the same time, the aircraft has proved to be an important vector of progress and human civilization in the technical, economic, social and cultural fields, playing an important role in both war and peace. The ability of the air force to fulfil its role in a war or in military operations depends on the science and skill in harnessing the components of air power. The evolution of these components over time is reflected by the history of military art, which highlights both continuity and tradition as well as innovation. Moreover, it points out the similarities and differences, draws the necessary conclusions, which, filtered by military thinking, give the opportunity to formulate new rules and principles to be inserted in military doctrines and regulations, in training and education plans, as well as in economic development strategies and policies, including the defence and aeronautical industries, both civilian and military. The Romanian aviation has adapted, since the first use of the aircraft as a weapon, to the new reality of the battlefield, and this article is aimed at presenting the evolution of the concepts of its use in the first half of the 20th century, the principles of the use of aviation in battle, as well as the lessons learned following the participation of the Romanian military aviation in the campaigns of the two world conflagrations. To meet this purpose, the method of studying historical documents is employed.

Clausewitz and Sun Tzu: Insights in Military Studies for Staff College Students

This article delves into the enduring relevance of the theories proposed by two renowned military thinkers for contemporary military professionals- Clausewitz and Sun Tzu, particularly to those at the mid-level officer ranks. Highlighting both shared and contrasting concepts, including war as an extension of policy, caution against prolonged conflicts, recognition of military genius, and appreciation of psychological factors, this article offers valuable insights for military practitioners in discerning and applying strategic principles in modern warfare. The paper explores the interplay between Clausewitz and Sun Tzu's perspectives and further provides a nuanced understanding of their theories, aiding military leaders in navigating the complexities of today's global security landscape.

The Warfare Ideology of Ordeal: Another Form of Just War Thinking? Theory and Practice from the Early Middle Ages

ABSTRACT Studying the military thinking and military history of the Middle Ages, one can observe several forms of warfare ideologies. Three of these ideologies are the holy war ideology, the ideology of ordeal (or iudicium Dei), and the traditional just war theory. Every such ideology has the common characteristic of a stronger or weaker link to concepts of a Christian God, religion, or church. Beyond this common characteristic, the ideologies differ from each other in some key respects. The holy war ideology applies first and foremost the concept of God, traditional just war theory applies the concept of justice, and the ideology of ordeal relies on both the concepts of God and justice. This article presents the ideology of ordeal as a form of just war thinking, and describes its features through historical examples, through its essence, and in contrast to other ideologies.

Book Review: The Long Shadow of World War II. The Legacy of the War and its Impact on Political and Military Thinking since 1945 by Matthias Strohn

Book Review: <i>The Long Shadow of World War II. The Legacy of the War and its Impact on Political and Military Thinking since 1945</i> by Matthias Strohn

Project Udbhav: Integrating Ancient Wisdom with Modern Indian Military Pedagogy

Throughout history, humanity has seen many destructive wars, especially in India. Early wars in India were fought by the people of the Indus Valley civilization, who were skilled in building forts for defense. Hindu civilization had a rich knowledge of warfare, military strategies, and martial arts. Ancient political thinkers considered War as an extension of politics, a fallout of interstate relations. Strategies were both offensive and defensive. The ancient Indian thinkers instated war as a means of increasing royal glory and outright conquest. The battles depicted in the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata provide valuable information about the warfare mechanism of the ancient period. 'Project UDBHAV,' a collaborative effort between the Indian Army and the United Services Institution of India (USI), and the government of India, emphasized the project's significance, aiming to revisit India's ancient military thoughts. The initiative seeks to synthesize ancient knowledge, particularly from texts like Chanakya's Arthashastra and Thirukkural, with modern military practices. Examining historical campaigns, leaders, and examples like the Naval Battle of Saraighat, the paper highlights the enduring relevance of ancient Indian military strategies. The paper will also focus on contemporary military practices addressing modern challenges and the importance of Indian historical strategies in tackling diplomatic complexities.

Фигура командира: модусы рефлексии (Рецензия на книгу Гульнары Хайдаровой «Культурная практика приказа». – СПб.: Алетейя, 2022. – 408 с.)

The review raises the question of how one can think of military affairs as a cultural practice and, in particular, how and how much reflection of the commander&amp;#x27;s figure is possible. The presented monograph is one of the few in the modern domestic humanitarian context devoted to the study of the practice of the order. The author of the monograph on the material of direct observations, as well as studies of the military-theoretical heritage, concerns several issues related to the culture of military thinking and the philosophy of military management. Considerable attention is paid to the current situation of mediarationality, which transforms ideas about war. The review presents an assessment of the contribution of the monograph to the understanding of military culture, its significance for military education is presented, novelty is highlighted, complementary comments and ideas are given, limitations of the author&amp;#x27;s approach are critically named.

The modalities of China’s combinatory unrestrictive warfare strategy

This article analyses the modalities of China’s combinatory unrestricted warfare. After an investigation of the founding principles of Chinese military thought, the second part of the article is dedicated to the importance of technology in modern warfare and more specifically what Chinese military thinkers called “informatization,” which enables a combinatory unrestricted warfare strategy. Through a geopolitical analysis, the last part of this article specifies the modalities of Chinese combinatory unrestricted warfare applied to China’s security concerns: ensuring Chinese economic development and the preservation of China’s territoriality, including Taiwan and its territories in the SCS (South China Sea) and ECS (East China Sea).

Through Artillery from Thrust to Fire: How Prussian Military Thinking Anticipated Emergent Warfare in 1870

Reassessing the reasons for the German military success over France in War of 1870 up to the Battle of Sedan, we relate on publications of contemporary artillery generals, such as Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen and put the topic into the broader context of warfare since the 1866 German War. We reject the idea of success, being simply based on armament or a special ‘soldierly spirit’, but argue that the main reason for military success was based on reorganization of the Prussian artillery, which paved the way to the future ‘battle of combined arms’ and the dominance of fire over thrust.

Combat Training of the Assault Troops of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy

Most of the military thinkers in Austria-Hungary believed in 1914 that the new warwould be fought in the same way as the previous ones. They thought so despite thefact that local wars at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th centuryshowed otherwise. However, the proliferation of new, modern military equipmentand the unprecedented number of mass armies put the military perspectives in theFirst World War in a new dimension. The war of positions with its endless trenchesdemanded a transformation, and one of the many opportunities was the setting upthe stormtrooper units.

Managerialism and 4th Generation Wars: an analysis of the military thinking of the Brazilian Army

Managerialism and 4th Generation Wars: an analysis of the military thinking of the Brazilian Army

How to anticipate and control possible future health crises through foresight approaches using the COVID-19 pandemic crisis?

Prospective studies have evolved towards a more integrated, complex, and diachronic way of thinking about the future. What is the future? It is a set of possibilities, delimited by what we think is impossible (limits of plausibility) and by the difficulty of estimating the degree of plausibility of an event in a V.U.C.A. period. The term V.U.C.A. refers to the four characteristics that reflect the world according to military thinking: Volatility; Uncertainty; Complexity; Ambiguity. The COVID-19 crisis is an example of V.U.C.A with an uncertain situation. Foresight is a discipline that allows us to understand the forces at work in the construction of the future. Resolutely oriented towards action, it aims to enlighten the choices of the present by exploring possible futures. Strongly linked to strategy, it allows the determination of a desirable future, a vision, and the implementation of the means to achieve it. Foresight is exploratory (of possible futures), normative (creating a chosen future), quantitative (using statistical data), and qualitative (using survey data). Foresight does not foresee, it anticipates. Prospective approaches could be used more in particular in the field of health to define more or less pessimistic scenarios in order to define strategies of anticipation of futures that we do not want to see happen. The foresight for pandemics and epidemics initiatives can create a space for dialogue and bring together diverse perspectives and lived experiences. We emphasize in this communication the potential benefits and outcomes of foresight thinking, such as improved resilience, better resource allocation, and effective response strategies.

A Swiss “Columbus” in Clausewitz’s homeland: How the works of Antoine-Henri de Jomini were received by the Prussian military before 1848

ABSTRACT The impact that the works of Antoine-Henri de Jomini, especially his flagship book Précis de l’art de la guerre, had upon the development of military thought is commonly known. However, in contrast to the lively interest shown towards Jomini’s input with regards to the development of French, Russian, American or Italian military theory, there is no study devoted to the role he played in the shaping of Prussian military thinking. The main interest of the article is to present and explain the conditions of Jomini’s influence on Prussian military strategy in the first half of the nineteenth century.

Considerations on the role of information (-psychological) operations in Russian military thinking

Russian military thinking and strategic documents attribute information warfare (and its associated concepts) to external authors only. This creates a vacuum in terms of how Russia actually implements itself information-psychological operations and how this fits into the broader Russian military thinking. This article looks at how information (-psychological) operations (IOs) are applied pragmatically through the prism of specific and well-established Russian concepts, such as Reflexive Control, Asymmetry and Initial Period of War, with a specific focus on the current conflict in Ukraine. It also looks at specific capabilities and formation in the field of IOs, as pertaining to the military field.

The war in Ukraine shows the game-changing effect of drones depends on the game

ABSTRACT The Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to the first large-scale, high intensity war where both sides have extensively deployed military and commercial drones. What the conflict has so far highlighted is that the frequently mentioned “game-changing effect” of drones on warfare depends on the game. Based on their category, drones produce distinctive military effects either as an extension of air power or as ammunition. Military thinking is therefore changing, making armed drones more politically acceptable. There is also reduced focus on the large armed and surveillance drones known from counterterrorism operations, as better integrated small drone scouts now serve land forces in combat. Far from being a mere security nuisance, small drones have yet to be effectively countered with air defenses. Military and dual-use export controls require adaptation to keep pace with these evolving battlefield realities. The drone lessons of the war in Ukraine thus point to many future challenges lying in wait for the international community.