The Soul of Armies : Counterinsurgency Doctrine and Military Culture in the US and UK / Austin Long.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Long, Austin G., author.

Series:

Cornell studies in security affairs.

Cornell Studies in Security Affairs

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Counterinsurgency.

Military doctrine--Great Britain.

Military doctrine.

Military doctrine--United States.

Great Britain--Armed Forces--Attitudes.

Great Britain.

United States--Armed Forces--Attitudes.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (288 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Ithaca, NY : Cornell University Press, [2016]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

For both the United States and United Kingdom counterinsurgency was a serious component of security policy during the Cold War and, along with counterterrorism, has been the greatest security challenge after September 11, 2001. In The Soul of Armies Austin Long compares and contrasts counterinsurgency operations during the Cold War and in recent years by three organizations: the US Army, the US Marine Corps, and the British Army. Long argues that the formative experiences of these three organizations as they professionalized in the nineteenth century has produced distinctive organizational cultures that shape operations. Combining archival research on counterinsurgency campaigns in Vietnam and Kenya with the author's personal experience as a civilian advisor to the military in Iraq and Afghanistan, The Soul of Armies demonstrates that the US Army has persistently conducted counterinsurgency operations in a very different way from either the US Marine Corps or the British Army. These differences in conduct have serious consequences, affecting the likelihood of success, the potential for civilian casualties and collateral damage, and the ability to effectively support host nation governments. Long concludes counterinsurgency operations are at best only a partial explanation for success or failure.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1. Military Doctrine and the Challenge of Counterinsurgency

Chapter 2. Culture, Doctrine, and Military Professionalization

Chapter 3. "The Habits and Usages of War"

Chapter 4. From the Halls of Montezuma

Chapter 5. A Family of Regiments

Chapter 6. "A Nasty, Untidy Mess"

Chapter 7. A Natural Experiment in I Corps, 1966-68

Chapter 8. Out of Africa

Chapter 9. Counterinsurgency in the Land of Two Rivers

Chapter 10. Counterinsurgency in Afghanistan, 2003-11

Conclusions

Notes

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 08. Jul 2019)

ISBN:

9781501703904

1501703900

9781501703911

1501703919

OCLC:

1080549337