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Book Reviews

Pentagon News — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:11:00 GMT

Parameters book reviews summer 2026

Closing the Gap Between Threat and Rival

Pentagon News — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:10:00 GMT

This essay explores the advantages and risks associated with leveraging interstate rivalry frameworks for strategy development and planning. Advantages include reducing strategic uncertainty and gaining efficiencies in some aspects of force planning. Risks include trusting the data and accepting the methodical pace of research. While US security documents typically describe adversaries as threats or competitors, they rarely acknowledge that the behavior patterns among America’s three current interstate rivals—China, Russia, and Iran—differ fundamentally from those of mere threats or competitors. This analysis will benefit defense professionals responsible for developing regional or global strategies and for directing war-gaming efforts.

Turning Tactical Victories into Strategic Success: Counterinsurgency in the Irish Civil War, 1922–23

Pentagon News — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:09:00 GMT

The fundamentals the Irish National Army used in the Irish Civil War (1922–23) are a model for the successful application of a classic counterinsurgency which, if understood earlier, could have made a difference in the United States’ most recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Irish Civil War has not been examined in-depth through the lens of modern counterinsurgency doctrine. This article draws on military history and recent counterinsurgency doctrines to provide US policymakers and military practitioners practical guidance for how counterinsurgent forces can foster trust and use appropriate tactics that lead to strategic success.

A New Security Framework for NATO’s Eastern Flank

Pentagon News — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:08:00 GMT

This article argues for a NATO-EU–led security strategy to achieve long-term deterrence in Ukraine after the end of the Russia-Ukraine War. Unlike existing analyses, this article straddles the strategic level of deterrence, outlining an operational road map. Its historical example of the Iraq War shows that long-term security requires the development of plans before a conflict ends, long-term commitments, and multilateral—not unilateral—security efforts. The proposed solution provides strategic planners and policymakers with a low-risk, high-reward approach that leverages burden sharing through a multinational framework.

How Is Going to War Like Buying a Car?: The Bargaining Model of War

Pentagon News — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:07:00 GMT

The bargaining model of war, a popular, yet complex international relations theory, emphasizes how nations communicate signals regarding military strength, resolve to fight, and foreign policy goals. Since the military plays a major role in communicating these signals, its leaders should understand this theory, despite its complexities. This article explains the model and its components through the used car sale bargaining process and supplements the analogy with real-world examples of international events. This article will help military and foreign policy professionals easily grasp the concepts of the model.

Rethinking Power: E. H. Carr’s Enduring Lessons for Modern Strategists

Pentagon News — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:06:00 GMT

This article argues E. H. Carr’s classic conception of power provides enduring lessons for national security, but these lessons are easily lost in application. Unlike much of the existing literature, this article emphasizes how modern conceptions of power convey an illusion of balance, while the national security bureaucracy constrains the effective synchronization of power. The analysis leverages both historical and contemporary case studies to identify what a balanced conception of power looks like in practice, with the hope of informing US national security strategy and policy in today’s complex security environment.

Key Themes in Sino-American History

Pentagon News — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:05:00 GMT

This article examines how historical narratives shape the messaging of the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Republic of China, particularly regarding Sino-American relations. It identifies three key historical themes—trade, discriminatory policies, and Taiwan—that are frequently invoked in China’s statements and information campaigns. By contextualizing these themes, the article argues that military and national security professionals need a deeper understanding of Sino-American history to interpret China’s messaging correctly and counter its influence effectively. The article advocates for the integration of Sino-American historical content into professional military education curricula to enhance strategic awareness and policy formulation.

Geopolitical Chessboard: How Vietnam Shapes American-Chinese Competition

Pentagon News — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:04:00 GMT

Vietnam’s geostrategic position—bordering China and commanding key South China Sea maritime routes—makes it a pivotal actor in shaping great-power competition in Southeast Asia. This article argues that the United States should support Vietnam’s neutrality and strategic autonomy as a means of countering Chinese influence. Unlike prior studies that portray regional states as passive players, this analysis highlights Vietnam’s active role in influencing regional dynamics. Through comparative analysis with the Philippines, using historical case studies, geographic assessments, and policy reviews, the article offers practical insights for military and policy practitioners on how geography shapes alliance formation and strategic competition.

Fighting for Intelligence in Large-Scale Combat Operations: The Role of the Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Battalion–Next

Pentagon News — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:03:00 GMT

This article contends the US Army’s proposed intelligence and electronic warfare battalion–next concept constitutes an organizational solution essential for achieving intelligence dominance in large-scale combat operations. Transcending legacy formations that are predicated on specific intelligence disciplines, this innovative design furnishes a functionally oriented, modular, and layered architecture that affords the requisite analytic capabilities, agility, and endurance for the contemporary battlefield. The analysis incorporates lessons extracted from the Russia-Ukraine War, US Army experimental endeavors, assessments of peer threats, and doctrinal evolutions, thereby providing readers with vital insights into how the Army is adapting to the future of warfare.

The State of the US Army

Pentagon News — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:02:00 GMT

This article argues that the US Army remains dangerously optimized for counterinsurgency, leaving it ill-equipped for a high-intensity ground war against near-peer adversaries like Russia or China. Unlike standard modernization literature that focuses solely on technology, this analysis highlights how bloated staffs and personnel policies that prioritize equity over battlefield excellence undermine combat readiness. The analysis evaluates 2026 force-structure projections against current personnel metrics and acquisition timelines to identify systemic readiness gaps. The findings provide military and policy practitioners with actionable frameworks to reallocate personnel resources and address critical gaps in field artillery, electronic warfare, and short-range air defense before a major conflict occurs.

From the Editor in Chief

Pentagon News — Thu, 14 May 2026 12:01:00 GMT

Welcome to the Summer 2026 issue of Parameters, which consists of two In Focus special commentaries, three forums (Indo-Pacific, Strategy, and Historical Studies), and the Strategic Competition Corner.

Book Reviews

Pentagon News — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:10:00 GMT

Book reviews Spring 2026

Strategic Rivalries: How Are They Won?

Pentagon News — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:09:00 GMT

This article argues strategic rivalries—distinct from general strategic competition—are best understood as contests in which states prioritize weakening a specific opponent’s capacity to compete. It departs from existing work by critiquing the Joint Concept for Competing’s narrow definition and by emphasizing rivalry termination as a central but understudied dimension. Drawing on decades of international relations scholarship and historical datasets of interstate rivalries since 1815, the article analyzes how rivalries end and identifies strategic preclusion as a proactive approach for winning them. Its insights offer policy and military practitioners guidance for shaping competitive strategies short of war.

Spezialpropaganda: The East German Military’s Covert Information-Warfare Program

Pentagon News — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:08:00 GMT

This article details the East German military’s extensive, innovative covert-propaganda program, which was designed to influence West German attitudes for almost two decades during the Cold War. Unlike existing scholarship that primarily addresses intelligence-led disinformation, this study uniquely analyzes military-led information warfare. The article uses previously classified East German military records to examine capabilities and tactics ranging from fake conscription notices to radio broadcasts. The findings offer contemporary US military planners and practitioners insight into the complexities of integrating information-warfare capabilities, measuring the effectiveness of propaganda, and understanding adversarial influence campaigns, with direct implications for current Joint Force planning and doctrine.

Risk Decision Making and Intertemporal Choice: Lessons from the Taiwan Strait

Pentagon News — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:07:00 GMT

This article argues that domestic and political factors may incentivize US presidents to use risky military options to resolve crises quickly, though high costs or threats to long-term vital interests can overcome leaders’ natural tendencies to focus on the present. Recently declassified documents from President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s administration allow a detailed examination of how US leaders balanced risks over time during the First and Second Taiwan Strait Crises. The findings inform policy recommendations to enhance military planning and enable military advisers to communicate long-term risks more effectively to political leaders.

Imitating US Doctrine Cost Europe Its Heavy Combat Power

Pentagon News — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:06:00 GMT

This article argues that Europe’s loss of heavy combat power is primarily the result of doctrinal shifts influenced by the United States, rather than underfunding alone. Unlike existing research that focuses on defense budgets or burden-sharing, this study isolates the opportunity costs of adopting US-based expeditionary and counterinsurgency doctrines. Using force structure data for Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom (1990–2022), it conducts a counterfactual analysis of lost tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and heavy artillery pieces. The article shows that Europe’s shortfalls are doctrinal as much as fiscal and highlights the relevance of maintaining balance in future doctrinal choices.

Successful Large-Scale Combat Operations Require Artificially Intelligent Breaching Munitions

Pentagon News — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:05:00 GMT

The US Army must invest in artificial intelligence–enabled breaching munitions to succeed in large-scale combat operations. This article combines existing technologies to propose a new capability the Army does not currently possess. It lays out the current state of breaching materiel, identifies additional technology available, and proposes combining multiple pieces of existing technology to create improved breaching munitions for the Army’s use. This new capability will require practitioners and policymakers to enable the creation of artificial intelligence systems through acquisition and tactical experimentation.

Strategic Theory and Clausewitz’s Trinitarian Test

Pentagon News — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:04:00 GMT

Carl von Clausewitz’s trinity represents a qualitative test for strategy in both theory and practice. With the trinity, Clausewitz transforms competing influences into a mark of mark of theoretical quality. Synthesizing several translations of Clausewitz’s On War and interpretations by experts such as Hew Strachan, Antulio J. Echevarria II, and Frank G. Hoffman, this article suggests that Clausewitz believed that good theory encompasses and accounts for all fundamental forces of war, whereas bad theory emphasizes the extremes of one force. The trinity compels mandatory considerations for students of theory, war planners, and practitioners.

Approaching the Military as a Profession Through the Clausewitzian Trinity

Pentagon News — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:03:00 GMT

The Clausewitzian trinity (people, government, and military—or passion, reason, and chance) can enhance existing scholarship and discussions about military professionalism by emphasizing the fundamental purpose of military forces. Specifically, managing chance incorporates elements of reducing uncertainty and applying creativity as individuals develop coup d’oeil. Junior personnel manage chance by reducing cognitive load while enhancing cognitive skills needed to quickly assess battlefield conditions as they progress to becoming senior leaders. This article contrasts these ideas against the various roles assigned to civil-military forces in the Clausewitzian trinity to emphasize professionalism in developing military leaders.

Legacies Worth Considering: (Re)examining the Assumptions behind Denial Strategies

Pentagon News — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:02:00 GMT

Contemporary analyses of denial strategies risk conceptual confusion because they neglect the legacies of two distinct traditions: coercion versus control. This article explores the two traditions’ legacies from a broader perspective. It shows how neglecting those legacies contributes to conceptual confusion concerning operational conduct and strategic affairs in the South China Sea. The article facilitates smoother communication between and among civilians and military members involved in operational planning, which is essential if the United States and its allies want to combine military and nonmilitary instruments in future operations.