![]() ![]() Additionally, the character of war since the end of the Cold War has changed, because of changing technologies and the re-emergence of a wide variety of non-state actors often contesting the authority of the state, driven by identity politics. More recent armed conflicts such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have illustrated that strategic success cannot be achieved by military force alone and that victory requires not only the defeat of the opponents’ military capabilities but also the successful resolution of the deeper problems at the root of the conflict. History shows numerous examples of battlefield victors eventually losing the war, or the defeated coming out as winners. ‘Once you hear the details of victory, it is hard to distinguish it from a defeat.’ Jean Paul Sartre, Essays in Aesthetics, 1964. So, what constitutes victory in modern war? The result is at best patchy and probably not very satisfying. ![]() ![]() War is a complex social phenomenon that could be considered as a so-called wicked problem, complex and ambiguous. These include challenges around the clear and unambiguous definition of the desired end state or the goals and the way how to measure them once established. Second, some factors impede a clear understanding of what victory entails. ![]() Different lenses can be used to look at the idea including the tactical, strategic and grand strategic levels of war, or the way in which the status quo is affected. Victory as a concept is problematic in general and even more so in the context of modern war and armed conflict. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |