Recent Publications

What Should the U.S. Army Learn From History? Recovery From a Strategy Deficit
July 26, 2017 — Author: Dr Colin S GrayView the Executive Summary Does history repeat itself? This monograph clearly answers “no,” firmly. However, it does not argue that an absence of repetition in the sense of analogy means that history can have no utility for the soldier today. This monograph argues for a “historical parallelism,” in place of shaky or false... MORE

The Army War College Review Vol. 3 No. 2
July 24, 2017 — Authors: Colonel James M. Efaw, Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin R. Jonsson, Lieutenant Colonel Asariel Loria, Commander Mark O’Connell, Colonel Stephen E. Schemenauer The Army War College Review, a refereed publication of student work, is produced under the purview of the Strategic Studies Institute and the United States Army War College. An electronic... MORE

Strategic Insights: U.S.-China Relations: Avoiding the Traps
July 19, 2017 — Professor John F. TroxellMuch has been written about the rise of China and the tensions that this has put on the international system. The potential for conflict between the United States and China can be compared to the Peloponnesian War, as told by the ancient historian Thucydides, and the inevitability of that war because of Sparta’s fear of a... MORE

The Army War College Review Vol. 3 No. 1
July 18, 2017 — Author: Colonel Darren Huxley, COL David C. Menser, Lieutenant Colonel Carter L. Price, Lieutenant Colonel Jaren K. Price, LTC Geoffrey W. Wright The Army War College Review, a refereed publication of student work, is produced under the purview of the Strategic Studies Institute and the United States Army War College. An electronic quarterly, The... MORE

Ends, Means, Ideology, and Pride: Why the Axis Lost and What We Can Learn from Its Defeat
July 13, 2017 — Author: Dr Jeffrey RecordView the Executive Summary The author examines the Axis defeat in World War II and concludes that the two main causes were resource inferiority (after 1941) and strategic incompetence—i.e., pursuit of imperial ambitions beyond the reach of its actual power. Until 1941 Axis military fortunes thrived, but the addition in that... MORE

U.S. Landpower in the South China Sea
July 7, 2017 — Author: LTC Clarence J Bouchat (USAF, Ret)View the Executive Summary U.S. landpower is an essential, but often overlooked, element of national power in semi-enclosed maritime environments like the South China Sea. This monograph gives U.S. policymakers a better understanding of the role of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Forces... MORE

At Our Own Peril: DoD Risk Assessment in a Post-Primacy World
June 29, 2017 — Author: Mr Nathan P FreierView the Executive Summary The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) faces persistent fundamental change in its strategic and operating environments. This report suggests this reality is the product of the United States entering or being in the midst of a new, more competitive, post-U.S. primacy environment. Post-primacy... MORE

Transforming the Force: The 11th Air Assault Division (Test) from 1963 to 1965
June 27, 2017 — Author: Brigadier General Thomas C. GravesView the Executive Summary This monograph will answer the question: Can the U.S. Army apply to the current “prototype brigade” the lessons that were learned during the development and experimentation of the 11th Air Assault Division (Test)? Having established that the criteria of DTLOMS is a valuable tool... MORE

Cyber Infrastructure Protection: Vol. III
June 15, 2017 — Authors: LTC John D Colwell, Jr, Dr Tarek N SaadawiView the Executive Summary Despite leaps in technological advancements made in computing system hardware and software areas, we still hear about massive cyberattacks that result in enormous data losses. Cyberattacks in 2015 included: sophisticated attacks that targeted Ashley Madison, the U.S... MORE

Strategic Insights: Speed Kills—Enter an Age of Unbridled Hyperconnectivity
June 9, 2017 — Mr. Nathan P. FreierThis month, a team of U.S. Army War College (USAWC) researchers concluded a yearlong study on enterprise-level risk and risk assessment inside the Department of Defense (DoD). At Our Own Peril: DoD Risk and Risk Assessment in a Post-Primacy World argues for a new Department-level risk concept for describing, identifying,... MORE

Promoting U.S.-Indian Defense Cooperation: Opportunities and Obstacles
June 7, 2017 — Author: Dr Richard WeitzView the Executive Summary The U.S.-Indian security relationship has markedly improved since the Cold War with increased cooperation in a range of areas. The two countries have established stronger military, economic, and political ties based on mutual interests in combating terrorism, promoting democracy, preventing weapons... MORE

Corruption, Legitimacy, and Stability: Implications for the U.S. Army
June 6, 2017 — Author: Dr Shima D KeeneView the Executive Summary Corruption increases the level of instability and the risk of conflict by undermining the legitimacy and credibility of state institutions. It can be both a cause and effect of poor leadership and governance. States emerging from conflict are particularly vulnerable to corruption, due to the lack... MORE