Books

The Awakening: The Zapatista Revolt and Its Implications for Civil-Military Relations and the Future of Mexico Dr Donald E Schulz, LTC Stephen J Wager Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "This study examines the origins and nature of the Zapatista rebellion in Chiapas, the response of the Mexican government and military, and the implications for civil-military relations and the future of Mexico. It places the armed forces' reaction within the context of the institution's resonse to the country's accelerated transition to democracy and analyzes the implications of that democratization for the army. The main findings are as follows."

Pandora's Box Reopened: Ethnic Conflict in Europe and Its Implications Dr William T Johnsen Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "As the headlines attest, ethnic conflict has reemerged with a vengeance. Nowhere is this trend more evident than in Europe, where ethnically motivated warfare in the former Yugoslavia threatens to engulf the remainder of the Balkans and pent up ethnic tensions in Central and Eastern Europe have the potential to overturn the fragile democracies emerging from the shadow of the Soviet Union. Even Western Europe is not immune from ethnic tensions and crises."

The Impact of the Media on National Security Policy Decision Making Dr Douglas V Johnson II Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "There are only a few certainties about the news. The first is that there is likely to be more of it available to more of us. Another certainty is that major news media are still going to be driven by the profit motive; consequently, whatever sells they will purvey. Since its inception as a mass phenomenon, what sells is spectacular, titillating, eye catching, or sensational; truth, accuracy or context can become secondary."

Russian Policy and the Korean Crisis Dr Stephen J Blank Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The crisis ignited by North Korea's nuclear program affects Russia's vital interests. To understand Russian policy in this crisis, we must refer to both those vital geopolitical interests and to the contemporary and bitter domestic debate over Russian policy abroad."

Partnership for Peace: Discerning Fact from Fiction Dr William T Johnsen, Dr Thomas-Durell Young Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The January 1994 NATO Summit in Brussels could arguably be called one of the most important, if not momentous, meetings in the Alliance's history. Labeled privately by some only a few months prior to its convening as "a summit without a theme," the subsequent meeting proved the pessimists incorrect and once again reinforced NATO's relevance."

U.S. Africa Policy: Some Possible Course Adjustment AMB Daniel H Simpson Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "U.S. relations with Africa have always come low on the list of overall U.S. foreign policy interests, after Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas. This prioritization is logical in terms of overall global U.S. strategic, political, and economic interests. At the same time, in a striking anomaly, during 1993 nearly 30,000 members of the U.S. armed forces were deployed in Africa at one time or another. Army and Marine units were primarily involved in operations in Somalia that ended March 31, 1994. Within a few months, U.S. forces were involved in a desperate attempt to provide humanitarian support to war-torn Rwanda. Africa remains a minefield of issues with the potential of involving the United States, either bilaterally or through the United Nations or regional organizations."

Russia's New Doctrine: Two Views Dr Michael M Boll, COL James F Holcomb Jr Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In the past decade, Soviet/Russian military doctrine has experienced startling changes both in content and in the role such doctrine will play in protecting the vital interests of the state. This report focuses upon efforts during and after the Gorbachev era to establish clear national security priorities and to enumerate the ways in which military doctrine might ensure protection of the Russian national interest."

Does Russian Democracy Have a Future? Dr Stephen J Blank, Dr Earl H Tilford Jr Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Russia's December 1993 elections produced shock, consternation, and surprise at home and abroad. The results highlight reformers' failure to create coherent or stable governmental institutions as specified by Madison, a failure having profound consequences. This analysis of the election's impact upon democratization focuses on his criteria: control of the government, control of the society. To grasp that impact we must also dispel myths that impair our understanding of Russian realities, address ourselves to those realities, and place them in the context of Russia's ongoing political and institutional history."

Whither the RMA: Two Perspectives on Tomorrow's Army COL Raoul Henri Alcala, Dr Paul Bracken Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In April 1994, the Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute hosted its Fifth Annual Strategy Conference. The theme was 'The Revolution in Military Affairs: Defining an Army for the 21st Century.' After fourteen of the nation's leading defense scholars presented papers on the role of technology in warfare, Dr. Paul Bracken and Colonel Raoul Alcala concluded the conference by offering their views of the Army's future. Professor Bracken contends that the Army of the 21st century will be shaped by domestic concerns as much as by external threats to American security. While economic power has increased in importance in international relations, military power as traditionally conceived remains a dominant factor in determining the status of nations. Colonel Alcala holds that there is a connection between ideas and principles. He argues that doctrines will provide the basis for force structure, training, and weapons acquisition. Colonel Alcala maintains that the Army's ability to stay intellectually ahead of the technology will be, perhaps, its greatest challenge in the next century. To contribute to an informed debate about the 21st century Army, the Strategic Studies Institute presents the views of these respected defense intellectuals for your consideration."