Recent Publications

2017-18 Key Strategic Issues List
November 15, 2017 — Editor: COL Todd E. Key For over a decade, the USAWC has published the annual Key Strategic Issues List (KSIL) to inform students, faculty, and external research associates of strategic topics requiring research and analysis. Part I of the Academic Year (AY) 2018 KSIL, referred to as the Chief of Staff of the Army Special Interest Topics, consists... 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

Unlocking India’s Strategic Potential in Central Asia
October 29, 2015 — Author: Mr Roman MuzalevskyView the Executive Summary India’s impressive economic growth over the last two and a half decades has brought India’s role and interests to the forefront of global politics and statecraft. Importantly, it has put India into a comparative perspective with China, another aspiring Asian great power poised to stiffen... MORE

The Real Rebalancing: American Diplomacy and the Tragedy of President Obama’s Foreign Policy
October 26, 2015 — Author: Dr John R DeniView the Executive Summary American security policy rests on a three-legged stool consisting of defense, diplomacy, and development. As President Obama implied in his May 2014 speech at West Point, the United States is in the midst of a resurgence of diplomacy and development, as it seeks to leverage diplomatic influence,... MORE

Strategic Insights: Economic Power: Time to Double Down
September 29, 2015 — Professor John F. TroxellA recent editorial in The New York Times asked the question, “Who threatens America most?” It proceeded to compare recent pronouncements by incoming senior military leaders, the President, the FBI director, and finally the Director of National Intelligence. The major candidates included the usual nation states (Russia,... MORE

Gold, Blood, and Power: Finance and War Through the Ages
May 29, 2015 — Author: Mr James Lacey View the Executive SummaryThis monograph presents a survey of the crucial link between state (national) power and finance from the ancient era through to the present day. Cicero once said that the true sinew of war was “endless streams of money.” His observation remains as accurate today as it was when Rome first began... MORE

Do Fewer Resources Mean Less Influence? A Comparative Historical Case Study of Military Influence in a Time of Austerity
January 30, 2015 — Author: Dr Mary Manjikian View the Executive SummaryAs military conflicts come to an end, it is not uncommon for societies to expect a “peace dividend” and to engage in elite and popular conversations about how much defense spending is still needed. The issues are similar across countries and time periods: How can defense planners preserve... MORE

A Transatlantic Bargain for the 21st Century: The United States, Europe, and the Transatlantic Alliance
September 30, 2013 — Author: Dr Ellen HallamsView the Executive Summary In the 21st century, the transatlantic bargain that has framed the relationship between the United States and its NATO allies is under more scrutiny than ever before. In a changed geopolitical environment, one characterized by the complexity of modern military operations, the growing power of... MORE

Op-Ed: Reflections on “The China Threat”
August 1, 2013 — Prof. Neil J. DiamantIt seems that not a day passes without dire warnings about China’s rising economic and military power. China, we are told, is a multi-front menace. Due to “rising nationalism” and an insatiable demand for energy, China covets increasingly large areas of the South China Sea, and ominously seeks to establish a robust forward... MORE

Op-Ed: The Army Should Embrace A2/AD
July 16, 2013 — Dr. Alex CrowtherThe U.S. Army is contemplating mission sets that it will perform in the middle of the second decade of the 21st century. After 10 years of two ground wars, the Army seeks to redefine its activities. While other actors seek to relegate ground forces into irrelevance, the Army seeks to communicate why it remains necessary. At... MORE

Colloquium Brief: Kingston Conference on International Security (KCIS-2011): The Changing Arctic: Sovereignty, Resources, and Security
August 26, 2011 — Mr. Dru LauzonA Partnership Between Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College, Centre for International and Defence Policy, Queen's University, Chair of Defence Management Studies, Queen's University, and Land Force Doctrine and Training System of the Canadian ForcesKey Insights. The threat of military conflict in the Arctic is low, while... MORE

Towards a U.S. Army Officer Corps Strategy for Success: A Proposed Human Capital Model Focused upon Talent
April 1, 2009 — Author: LTC Michael J Colarusso, COL David S Lyle, COL Casey Wardynski Creating and maintaining a highly competent U.S. Army Officer Corps has always been the cornerstone of the nation's defense. The authors consider America’s continuing commitment to an all-volunteer military, its global engagement in an era of persistent conflict, and evolving... MORE