Transcript Small Wars & Insurgencies

Small Wars &
Insurgencies
Iain Spence
UNE
The Ancient
World
Aims—examine
 effects
of small wars
within a big one
 effectiveness
of dealing
with insurgency
 Peloponnesian
War
why ancient?
 less
complex
 fewer
emotions
 human
 more
face/nature
honest over motive (?)
USMC SWM 1940 p. 1
…
operations
undertaken
under
executive authority, wherein military
force is combined with diplomatic
pressure in the internal or external affairs
of another state whose government is
unstable, inadequate, or unsatisfactory
for the preservation of life and such
interests as are determined by the
foreign policy of our Nation.
USMC SWM 1940 p. 1
…
operations
undertaken
under
executive authority, wherein military
force is combined with diplomatic
pressure in the internal or external affairs
of another state whose government is
unstable, inadequate, or unsatisfactory
for the preservation of life and such
interests as are determined by the
foreign policy of our Nation.
Peloponnesian War
 431-421
 Athens
 Sparta
& 413-404
& allies (naval)
& allies (land)
Peloponnesian War
 Athens
= democracy
 Athens
= imperial power
Thuc. 1.144
I could give you many other reasons
why you should feel confident in
ultimate victory, if only you will make
up your minds not to add to the empire
while the war is in progress, and not to
go out of your way to involve
yourselves in new perils. What I fear is
not the enemy’s strategy but our own
mistakes.
Thuc. 5.84
… had refused to join the Athenian
empire like the other islanders, and at
first had remained neutral without
helping either side (i.e. in the
Peloponnesian War); but afterwards,
when the Athenians had brought force
to bear on them by laying waste their
land, they had become open enemies of
Athens.
Thuc. 5.116
the Athenians … put to death all
men of military age whom they
took, and sold the women and
children as slaves. Melos itself
they took over for themselves,
sending out later a colony of
500 men.
Thuc. 5.98
… will make enemies of all
states which are at present
neutral, when they see what is
happening here and naturally
conclude that in the course of
time you will attack them too.
Thuc. 8.2
Those who had not been allied with
either side thought that, even though
they were not asked, they ought not
keep out of the war any longer and
should go against the Athenians of their
own accord, since the Athenians, in the
view of each state, would have gone
against them, if they had been
successful in Sicily …
‘Small Wars’

can be distraction from main aim

problem predicting size

assess political and military risk

keep own population on side
Insurgencies

no single proven method

keep own population on side