NCJ Number
63409
Date Published
1974
Length
67 pages
Annotation
CHARACTERISTICS OF TYPES OF INSURGENCIES ARE IDENTIFIED. ANALYTICAL VARIABLES USED TO ESTIMATE THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS ARE GOVERNMENT, POPULAR AND EXTERNAL SUPPORTS, ORGANIZATION, AND ENVIRONMENT.
Abstract
THE TYPES AND FORMS OF ARMED CONFLICT ARE NAMED AND DEFINED: TOTAL WAR, GENERAL WAR, LIMITED, AND INSURGENT WAR WHICH IS SET APART FROM THE OTHER FORMS BY ITS MODUS OPERANDI, WITH INSURGENTS SEEKING TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE POPULATION. OTHER ASPECTS OF INSURGENCY ARE ITS PROPAGANDA APPEALS, ORGANIZATIONAL EFFORTS, TERRORISM, AND CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE. THE GUERRILLA FORM OF INSURGENCY WARFARE, USED BY THE STRATEGICALLY WEAKER SIDE IN A CONFLICT, IS EMPLOYED TO WEAR DOWN THE GOVERNMENT UNTIL THE INSURGENTS CAN GRADUALLY SHIFT TO CONVENTIONAL WARFARE. TYPES OF INSURGENCIES MAY DIFFER IN THE SCOPE OF POPULAR PARTICIPATION AND IN OBJECTIVE, THESE ARE DISCUSSED IN SOME DETAIL: REACTIONARY (FOR EXAMPLE, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD), CONSERVATIVE (ULSTER VANGUARD), RESTORATIONAL (NON-COMMUNIST PARTISANS IN WORLD WAR II), REFORMIST (SUDAN), AND REVOLUTIONARY (RUSSIA). THE MAJOR ANALYTICAL VARIABLES AND THEIR LINKAGES ARE INTRODUCED AND DIAGRAMED: GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TO THE INSURGENCY; POPULAR SUPPORT, WHICH IS GENERALLY ACTIVE, PASSIVE, OR ACTIVELY RESISTANT; THE ROLE OF IDEOLOGY AND INTELLECTUALS; INSURGENT ORGANIZATION, INCLUDING ITS SCOPE, COMPLEXITY, AND COHESION; EXTERNAL SUPPORT, WHICH MAY BE MATERIAL SUPPORT OR SANCTUARY IN AN ADJACENT COUNTRY; AND ENVIRONMENT, WHICH INCLUDING TERRAIN, CLIMATE, CULTURE, DISTRIBUTION OF THE POPULATION, LOCAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, AND OTHER FACTORS. MODELS OF REVOLUTIONARY WARFARE PROGRESSION ARE OFFERED AND A COMPARISON MADE BETWEEN THE MAOIST, CUBAN, AND URBAN TERRORIST MODELS. EXTENSIVE FOOTNOTES AND A SCHEMATIC REPRESENTATION OF THE ANALYTICAL VARIABLES AND THEIR LINKAGES COMPLETE THE TEXT. (RFC)