Between Clausewitz and Mao
Between Clausewitz and Mao
Dynamic Evolutions of the Insurgency and Counterinsurgency in Iraq (2003-2008)
by Thomas Renard and Stéphane Taillat, Small Wars Journal
Between Clausewitz and Mao (Full PDF Article)
Insurgencies are dynamic, not static. The idea of dynamic insurgencies was previously developed by Mao Zadong. In his book, Mao described guerrilla warfare as a pyramidal process divided into three linear but not definitive phases – from propaganda to conventional warfare – which means that the guerrilla must follow the order of the different phases, but maintains the possibility to move back and forth between them.
Mao’s dynamic guerrilla, due to its linearity, explains only partly the tactical shifts adopted by insurgents. Therefore, in order to mirror the real dynamism of modern insurgencies, we propose a second model of dynamic insurgencies based on three operational poles: the terror pole, the guerrilla pole, and the conventional warfare pole. The three poles create a triangle of tactical possibilities, in which every insurgent action takes place.
Concretely, this means that a group closer to the terror pole will mainly rely on acts of terrorism, while maintaining a more or less pronounced aspect of guerrilla warfare, or even of conventional warfare, depending on its proximity to the other poles. This is to say – most groups do not rely on a single pole.
