Strategy & Policy

U.S. Army War College Guide to Strategy Dr Joseph R Cerami, COL James F Holcomb Jr Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Advice to strategists comes in many forms. Kennedy and Gaddis’s thoughts expressed above are representative of most scholars, statesmen, and generals—strategy is a critical subject for senior leaders. George Marshall expressed concerns, late in his distinguished career, that as a statesman he had to learn a “whole new set of skills.” Theater strategists, like Field Marshall Slim, have written that senior leaders must learn how to “think big.” Important books on the subject stress an in depth knowledge of history, economics, politics, geography, culture, and so on. For a concept that remains hard to define, the study of strategy remains a complex subject of lifelong learning for scholars, statesmen, and soldiers alike."

Conventional Deterrence in the First Quarter of the New Century Colonel Peter D. Menk Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "Over the past half-century deterrence has been the bedrock of United States defense policy. As we move into the first quarter of the 21st century deterrence will remain fundamental to national security, however, a continually evolving multi-polar world may require different methodologies to achieve deterrence. Therefore a new set of dialogues on the nature of deterrence is required."

Asymmetry and U.S. Military Strategy: Definition, Background, and Strategic Concepts Dr Douglas V Johnson II, Dr Steven Metz Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute: "In war, there are always differences between the opponents. At times these are insignificant, passing disparities with no bearing on the outcome. At other times, the differences between opponents are important, placing one in a position of advantage, the other at a disadvantage. This is a very simple observation, but from it flows one of the pressing issues faced by the United States today: strategic asymmetry."

Post-Conflict Strategic Requirements Workshop COL Peter D Menk Issue Paper by the US Army War College, Center for Strategic Leadership "This Issue Paper summarizes the factual discussions and issues raised during the Center for Strategic Leadership, United States Army War College and the Foreign Service Institute, Department of State hosted Post-Conflict Strategic Requirements Workshop, conducted at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania November 28 to November 30, 2000. Participants included United States Ambassadors and United States military commanders experienced in affected regions, distinguished subject matter experts from the inter-agency arena, NGOs, allied nations, and the United Nations."

American Strategy: Issues and Alternatives for the Quadrennial Defense Review Dr Steven Metz Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Because of the confluence of the congressionally mandated Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) and a presidential election, the years 2000 and 2001 are likely to be important in the evolution of American military strategy. Basic strategic concepts and alternatives will be debated and analyzed. The results will shape U.S. strategy for several decades. This study provides a brief history of the evolution of American military strategy since the end of the Cold War, delineates the key issues which are likely to shape the upcoming QDR process, and assesses a range of strategic alternatives."

Armed Conflict in the 21st Century: The Information Revolution and Post-Modern Warfare Dr Steven Metz Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In this monograph, Dr. Steven Metz, who was one of the earliest analysts of the strategic dimension of the revolution in military affairs, suggests that official thinking within the U.S. military may be too narrow. The information revolution, he contends, will have far-reaching strategic effects. The transformation it brings will not only be technological, but political, social, ethical and strategic as well."

Prevailing in a Well-Armed World: Devising Competitive Strategies Against Weapons Proliferation Mr Henry D Sokolski Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The United States has a long-standing commitment to efforts to limit, delay, or stop, and even reverse the proliferation of a variety of weapons and weapon systems. The several papers contained in this volume are drawn from a conference that explored the merits of, and various methods of applying, a competitive strategies approach to the pursuit of U.S. goals in nonproliferation. This approach requires thinking through how to improve one’s relative position in any long-term competition."

Refining American Strategy in Africa Dr Steven Metz Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Traditionally, the United States has not been a major player in the security environment of Sub-Saharan Africa, relying instead on European nations to provide outside assistance to African states. Today, it is appropriate to rethink this neglect. Africa is undergoing vast political, social, and economic changes. A consistent and well-designed American strategy in the region could help tilt the scales in favor of security and stability."

Transnational Threats from the Middle East: Crying Wolf or Crying Havoc? Prof Anthony H Cordesman Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "There is no doubt that the Middle East can present significant potential threats to the West. The author of this monograph examines these threats in order to put them into perspective—to distinguish between “crying wolf” and “crying havoc.” After thorough analysis, he contends that the problems caused by narcotics and organized crime, immigration, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction do not as yet require draconian action by the Western nations. However, he asserts that if the threats of Middle Eastern terrorism and proliferation were to be combined into super-terrorism, the result would create a new form of asymmetric warfare for which the West is singularly ill-prepared."