Military History and Fourth Generation Warfare

Bibliographic Data

ID11157627
AuthorsTimothy J Junio (University of Pennsylvania, corresponding author)
Year2009
Volume32
Issue2
Pages243-269
Publication date2009-04-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Strategic Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0140-2390 • E-ISSN: 1743-937X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01402390902743266
OpenAlexW2002252955
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited19

This article examines ‘Fourth Generation Warfare’ (4GW), a theory of how warfare has evolved and is evolving, from the perspective of military history. The author makes three primary claims: 4GW advocates' boxing of history into ‘generations’ is logically and temporally inconsistent; 4GW authors misuse history by selectively choosing case studies and applying them out of context; and other arguments regarding the current and future character of warfare are more convincing. The author concludes that scholars and policymakers would be well served by considering elements of 4GW, particularly its analysis of insurgency, but that the concept should be subsumed by a broader US grand strategy that retains a strong focus on preparation for conventional warfare

Character (mathematics · Context (archaeology · Epistemology · Grand strategy · Guerrilla warfare · Insurgency · Military history · Modern warfare · Network-centric warfare · Perspective (graphical · Political science · Politics · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Defense, Military, and Policy Studies · European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies · History · Law · Military History and Strategy · Philosophy

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