Strategic Issues

The Grand Strategy of Gertrude Bell: From the Arab Bureau to the Creation of Iraq. Dr Heather S. Gregg Monograph by US Army War College, US Army War College Press, Strategic Studies Institute "The remarkable life of early-twentieth-century British adventurer Gertrude Bell has been well documented through her biographies and numerous travel books. Bell’s role as a grand strategist for the British government in the Middle East during World War I and the postwar period, however, is surprisingly understudied. Investigating Gertrude Bell as both a military strategist and a grand strategist offers important insights into how Great Britain devised its military strategy in the Middle East during World War I—particularly, Britain’s efforts to work through saboteurs and secret societies to undermine the Ottoman Empire during the war and the country’s attempts to stabilize the region after the war through the creation of the modern state of Iraq..."

by Andrew Culbreath, John Hosey, Brennan Kemper, Michael Stevic, and Michael Wacker; Report from the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership; In this authoritative report, Team Janus from the U.S. Army War College delves into the transformative technologies poised to redefine land warfare by 2045. Through rigorous analysis, the report identifies three pivotal concepts – Latent Variable Environment, Times as a Domain, and Symbiotic Warfare – that will shape military strategies amidst evolving geopolitical landscapes. These insights are drawn from extensive research, including expert interviews and open-source data, providing military professionals with a strategic framework to anticipate and counter emerging threats.

by team Pacific Warrior: LTC Lee Hemming (USMC), LTC Randy Paul Lefebvre, LTC Matthew "Kip" Marsh, COL John Cletus Paumier (USAR), Pratya "Lek" Siriwat; Publication by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership; This publication examines the impact of the Russo-Ukranian conflict on China’s military strategies, particularly concerning Taiwan. It highlights the increased risks of forced unification and the need for China to improve join training, doctrine, and modernization efforts. The report suggests that China is likely to draw lessons from Russia’s operational failures, focusing on enhancing its military capabilities while considering economic insulation from potential sanctions. Overall, the analysis provides insights into how the conflict might influence China’s approach to Taiwan, emphasizing strategic caution and calculated planning.

by BioThreat Forge: COL Dan Mitchell, COL Laura Porter, LTC Matt Rasmussen, LTC Timothy Harloff, and LTC Justin De Armond; Publication from the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership; In Biothreat Assessment 2035, the student team BioThreat Forge examines the evolving landscape of biotechnology and its potential threats to U.S. national security by 2035. The report identifies key trends, including the convergence of digital technology and biotechnology, which may enable non-state actors and adversarial nations to exploit biological capabilities, posing significant risks to public health, infrastructure, and military operations.

by LTC Lee Hemming (USMC), LTC Randy Paul Lefebvre, LTC Matthew "Kip" Marsh, COL John Cletus Paumier (USAR), Pratya "Lek" Siriwat; Publication from the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership; China’s Use of Landpower for Unification of Taiwan delves into China’s multifaceted strategy to unify Taiwan by 2049 through the lens of landpower. The document outlines three main strategies: unification by maneuver, leveraging geopolitical and economic influence to isolate Taiwan; unification by fires, preparing for potential military aggression; and unification by mistake, exploiting missteps by Taiwan or its allies. Each strategy reflects China’s long-term vision and military modernization efforts, emphasizing strategic patience and the use of time as a domain to achieve its objectives without immediate conflict.

by COL Troy Alexander, COL Greg Pavlichko, COL Anthony Pollio, LTC Patrick Hofmann, LTC Nicky Shadley; Publication from the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership; This publication explores the transformative potential of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) and trust-enabling technologies by 2037, emphasizing their role in enhancing dynamic information sharing within Mission Partner Environments (MPE) amidst trust asymmetries. It outlines critical advancements in areas such as fully homomorphic encryption, culturally sensitive mixed reality, and augmented intelligence, which collectively aim to revoluntionize military operations and inter-agency collaboration through improved data security, real-time communication, and decision-making capabilities.

Publication from the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership; In this comprehensive analysis, a team of U.S. Army War College students examines China’s strategic ambitions to become the world’s dominant power by 2049. The report delves into China’s multifaceted approach, highlighting its focus on economic growth, regional hegemony, and global influence through technological advancements and strategic partnerships. Despite China’s progress, the report identifies significant challenges, including internal security issues, economic vulnerabilities, and geopolitical tensions, which could impede its path to global supremacy. The study underscores the implications for the United States and its allies, emphasizing the need for strategic preparedness in response to China’s evolving global strategy.

Contested Deployment Bert B. Tussing, John Eric Powell, Benjamin C. Leitzel With James L. Boling, Jonathan M. Boling, John J. Borek, Charles P. Brady, John Bretthorst, Stephen W. Ladd, Steven E. Landis, Edmund “Beau” Riely, Arthur C. Roscoe, Brian D. Wisniewski Integrated Research Project by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press, Center for Strategic Leadership "Early in academic year 2018, a group of US Army War College faculty and students came together in pursuit of an integrated research project devoted to an examination of contested deployment and the growing realization the US homeland can no longer be considered an inviolable zone in preparing for war. Expecting free movement of forces in mobilization, movement to ports of embarkation, and deployment against the nation’s adversaries is beneath reason. Two oceans and benevolent neighbors to the north and south can no longer be considered a significant buffer against internal and external enemies. Adversaries of the United States will seek to disrupt or disable the movement of its forces long before they can be placed in combat against foes overseas, and the nation must be prepared for this opposition."

by COL Johnny Casiano , Mrs. Jo Dempsey, Mr. Gregory Lynch, LTC Andy Pannier, and COL William Snook; Publication from the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership; In “The Convergence of ‘Exciting’ Technology Between 2030 and 2040,” the Concept Squad, a small team of U.S. Army War College students, examines 17 transformative technologies poised to reshape military capabilities and national security strategies within the next two decades. Highlighting innovations such as optogenetics, neural lace, and quantum radars, the publication underscores the critical need for the U.S. military to adapt to these advancements in the face of increasing competition from near-peer adversities.