Recent Publications

Strategia: A Primer on Theory and Strategy for Students of War
August 29, 2023 — StrategyBook Review: Strategia: A Primer on Theory and Strategy for Students of War Author: Charles S. Oliviero | Reviewed by Phillip Dolitsky, master’s student at the School of International Service, American University | Strategia: A Primer on Theory and Strategy for Students of War poses the question “What is the true nature of war?”... MORE

Book Review by Phillip Dolitsky: Strategia: A Primer on Theory and Strategy for Students of War

Author: Charles S. Oliviero

Reviewed by Phillip Dolitsky, master’s student at the School of International Service, American University

Strategia: A Primer on Theory and Strategy for Students of War poses the question “What is the true nature of war?” According to the author, even after studying war for 2,000 years, it is still misunderstood. Topics include war on land, war at sea, and war in the air. The reviewer notes that several relevant strategists names are noticeably absent from the work, including J. C. Wylie, Raymond Aron, Colin S. Gray, and Edward N. Luttwak, and even Thucydides.

Parameters | Summer 2023
May 19, 2023 — adetail.news .article-body { max-width: 80% !important; }Parameters | Summer 2023 From the Acting Editor in ChiefConrad C. CraneIn FocusResponding to Future Pandemics: Biosecurity Implications and Defense ConsiderationsDiane DiEuliis and James GiordanoUnderstanding the Adversary: Strategic Empathy and Perspective Taking in National SecurityAllison... MORE

Parameters Summer 2023 Issue
US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

Old & New Battlespaces: Society, Military Power, and War
April 7, 2023 — Changing Character of War Old & New Battlespaces: Society, Military Power, and War by Jahara Matisek and Buddhika Jayamaha | Reviewed by Dr. Robert J. Bunker, director of research and analysis and managing partner, C/O Futures, LLC | In Old & New Battlespaces: Society, Military Power, and War, Drs. Jahara Matisek and Buddhika Jayamaha, examine the... MORE

Parameters Bookshelf – Changing Character of War
Old & New Battlespaces: Society, Military Power, and War
by Jahara Matisek and Buddhika Jayamaha

Parameters VOL. 47 NO. 4 WINTER 2017–18
March 8, 2018 — Editor: Dr Antulio J Echevarria IIFEATURES: Exploring War’s Character & Nature. "Clausewitz’s Theory of War and Victory in Contemporary Conflict" by Emile Simpson. "Will War’s Nature Change in the Seventh Military Revolution?" by F. G. Hoffman. Learning from Military Transformations. "Lessons Unlearned: Army Transformation and Low-Intensity... MORE

Cover for Parameters VOL. 47 NO. 4 WINTER 2017–18

The Clash of the Trinities: A New Theoretical Analysis of the General Nature of War
September 11, 2017 — Author: MAJ Daniel D. MaurerView the Executive Summary This monograph reimagines war’s fundamental nature, extending Clausewitz’s theory of its political origin and “Trinitarian” elements in a way that embraces alternative, sociological explanations like that of John Keegan. Ultimately, it proposes a new way to visualize the complexities of war’s... MORE

Planning For and Applying Military Force: An Examination of Terms
March 1, 2006 — Author: LTG Paul K Van Riper The author briefly examines current and in some cases still evolving definitions in joint doctrine--especially as regards strategy, center of gravity, decisive point, and commander's intent. He discusses the heritage of those concepts and terms, most of which derived from the writings of Clausewitz and Sun Tzu, and... MORE

Fourth-Generation War and Other Myths
November 1, 2005 — Author: Dr Antulio J Echevarria II Fourth Generation War (4GW) emerged in the late 1980s, but has become popular due to recent twists in the war in Iraq, and terrorist attacks worldwide. In brief, the theory holds that warfare has evolved through four generations: 1) the use of massed manpower, 2) firepower, 3) maneuver, and now 4) an evolved form... MORE

Coup D’Oeil: Strategic Intuition in Army Planning
November 1, 2005 — Author: Dr William Duggan Dr. William Duggan shows how to reconcile analytical and intuitive methods of decisionmaking, by drawing on recent scientific research that brings the two together. He applies this new research to the Army's core methods of analytical decisionmaking as found in FM 5-0, Army Planning and Orders Production. The result is... MORE

Globalization and the Nature of War
March 1, 2003 — Author: Dr Antulio J Echevarria II The author explores the nature of war, and how it has changed as a result of globalization. He uses the Clausewitzian model of war's trinity (political guidance, chance, and enmity) as a framework for understanding the nature of war, a concept that has been only vaguely represented in defense literature. He then... MORE

Clausewitz’s Center of Gravity: Changing Our Warfighting Doctrine–Again!
September 1, 2002 — Author: Dr Antulio J Echevarria II The author cuts through the myriad interpretations surrounding the concept and gets back to the original idea as conceived by its author, the Prussian military theorist, Carl von Clausewitz. In going back to the original concept, Lieutenant Colonel Echevarria reveals that Clausewitz intended the center of gravity... MORE

Political Control over the Use of Force: A Clausewitzian Perspective
April 1, 2001 — Author: LTC Suzanne C Nielsen The author addresses the issues regarding the ideal relationship between the commander and the statesman in time of war and the balance between political control and military operational expertise by examining what Carl von Clausewitz has to say about civil- military relations and the use of force. She looks in depth... MORE

Two Historians in Technology and War
July 1, 1994 — Authors: Dr John F Guilmartin Jr, Sir Michael Howard In April 1994, the Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute held its annual Strategy Conference. The theme for this year's conference was "The Revolution in Military Affairs: Defining an Army for the 21st Century." Sir Michael and Professor Guilmartin are historians who have experienced... MORE