Finally done. What a huge book with fine print. So much information and so much depth on different strategic programs. I would recommend this as a refFinally done. What a huge book with fine print. So much information and so much depth on different strategic programs. I would recommend this as a reference book for the entire strategic program development. The book served its purpose. I got far smarter on the Trident II submarines. If you would like to do, then I recommend this book. ...more
The Cultural Revolution is something I am only vaguely familiar with. This was a book that I obtained from one of the war college libraries back in thThe Cultural Revolution is something I am only vaguely familiar with. This was a book that I obtained from one of the war college libraries back in the day. Recently I decided to start burning down some of my China To Read list.
Firstly, this book was written by a communist through and through. In his act as a communist apologist, he wrote this book highlighting the Cultural Revolution as a benign form of morphing from the last vestiges of capitalist China to socialist then communist China. He discussed the riots and political struggles amongst the Chinese hierarchy. He discussed how Mao moved the Chinese people from capitalism to communism. It must be remembered, the communist Chinese takeover of China was for the most part a military operation against the forces of Chiang Kai Sheik. Just because the communists won did not mean that communism had been fully embraced by millions of people. The Cultural Revolution describes how socialism and communism overcame the mores of capitalism in China.
Since this book was written by a communist, he has naturally left out some of the grisly facts of the Cultural Revolution. The deaths of 30 million or so people is not mentioned in this book. Also not mentioned is the communist tendency to purge or re-educate those who do not embrace communism. Communist governments rank right up there with the most despicable of dictatorships. The Gulags of Stalin, the Pol Pot killing fields of Cambodia, and of course the untold millions dead in China. Communism equates to a police state where you and your loved ones can disappear in the night far easier than in any Capitalist nation. I always wondered if communism was a workers utopia, then why did a communist government require an internal police force similar to Saddam Hussein's?
Overall, I learned quite a bit. I understand more about socialism and communism now. I understand a trifling more about the Cultural Revolution. I also realize this book is merely an advertisement pamphlet of communism and is only that and not much more. ...more
We failed to heed Lesson #2 as well. The setting is the mid-50's to the early 60's in another colonial possession. The colony is Algeria and the colonWe failed to heed Lesson #2 as well. The setting is the mid-50's to the early 60's in another colonial possession. The colony is Algeria and the colonizer is France. Yet saying Algeria is a colony is a bit different from what springs to our minds. Algeria is not a British Colonial possession although it is fairly close to British India, A French Indochina, or a US Philippines. Algeria boasted a population of over 1 million French Europeans called Pied Noirs out of a population of 5 million. Algeria and France, in the French opinion, were one and the same. Unfortunately, for the French that latent heat of Nationalism was growing ever stronger in the poor and second class person, the native Algerian.
The background. France experienced a series of defeats in mid-1900s. Her stupendous capitulation to Germany in 1940 was a humiliation not unnoticed by her colonial subjects. Her humiliation did not end after Dunkirk, but continued. US and Britain were the powers that directed the Western Allied efforts against Nazi Germany. France fell into a confused partnership since there were the Free French and Vichy French to deal with. One was on the Allied side and the other was a subject of Nazi Germany. Free France had very little military power and therefore lost her Great Power status and her ability to direct any allied war efforts. Churchill, fearful of the powerful French fleet falling into Nazi hands ordered strikes against the fleet leading to severe damage, not only to the Fleet but relations as well. Allied landings in North Africa was the scene of US forces battling Vichy French. French forces actually fought each other in a mini civil war. After the defeat of Germany, France not only had to rebuild her devastated country, but repair her status as a Great Power. Her colonies still belonged to her and she rushed to fill the voids from the defeated Germans and Japanese. The Vietnamese of course had a vote in this which led to the defeat of France in Indo-China. Lesson #1 we failed to heed. Of particular interest is the fact that France employed many colonial units in its Army. Moroccans, Tunisians, Vietnamese, and Algerians all witnessed the loss of Indochina and the defeat of France. The Algerians especially took these lessons to heart.
At almost the same time France lost Vietnam an Algerian insurgency began. Algeria was France. The land, but not the people. Algerians were not considered French citizens. They did not own any land and had little voice to influence any change for the better. The French enjoyed the bistros, the beach, and owned the land. Many cautioned the French leadership about the pathetic state of the Algerians. Few listened. Disaffected and poor are the birthplace of revolution. Slowly the Algerians began to arm and prepare for war. A bomb blast here and a murder there were eventually replaced by armed bands of Algerian guerrillas. Algerians working for the French and also in the French Army began to desert and join the battle. The FLN became the lead insurrectionary group. This was Lesson #1 for the French and in a way for us.
The French Army, although suffering from its defeats from Nazi Germany and Giap's Communists, was still in the field. The Legion and the Paratroopers were the best of the French forces and they had taken their lessons to heart. FLN forces were able to inflict small wounds upon the French, but their maneuverability, firepower, and tactics were much better. FLN forces pinned down were mauled. Supplies had to be smuggled in from Tunisia and Morocco (similar to the Ho Chi Minh Trail). These supply runs became nearly suicidal leading to numerous casualties. Also, many Muslim soldiers still fought for the French and were able to infiltrate and extract intel on FLN forces leading to more losses. Even though militarily the FLN was losing, the French were still not winning. Cost and casualties mounted and the war continued on. Harsh measures by the French continued to alienate many non-aligned Algerians. The FLN could still find recruits to fill its ranks.
Politically the war in Algeria led to popular resentment in France and to a direct threat against France. France was growing tired of the cost in lives and treasure. They wanted out. Dissatisfaction within the Army led to a resentment of political leadership. The army wanted Algeria for France and nothing else. The Army would win Algeria without France if needed. In a stunning move, the French military in Algeria staged a coup that overthrew the government in France and led to the ascendance of De Gaulle. Fears of French units fighting each other almost became reality. De Gaulle was what the military wanted in a leader. De Gaulle however had learned his lessons and knew what lay ahead and began to move toward Algerian independence. This led to French Algerian forces and citizens becoming terrorists (the OAS) and attacking the French forces in France and Algeria. A civil war ensued where Frenchmen murdered Frenchmen. The die had been cast though. Algeria would become independent.
Seven years of war came to an end almost overnight. The peace led to one of the greatest migrations know in this century where 1 million French Algerians fled their home. Few believed the promises of sanctuary within the newly independent Algeria. This flood of refugees spread out across France to find a new home.
France did not learn her colonial lessons in Indochina and she repeated them in Algeria. These lessons were also there for us. We paid no attention to two nationalistic wars when we began our saga in Vietnam. It is mind boggling to understand how we assumed things would be different. Much was clouded in our thinking by labeling all insurgencies as Communist and falling for our Domino Theory. Over 50,000 of our soldiers paid the price for this mistake.
The Savage War of Peace is a well written and organized book that takes you through all this and more. A perfect blending of the political and military with enough background for the reader to understand all. A wonderful read for the military theorist or the armchair historian. ...more
Everything makes so much more sense now. The late 80s to the early 90s were rough times for the military. The fallout of the Vietnam debacle and the mEverything makes so much more sense now. The late 80s to the early 90s were rough times for the military. The fallout of the Vietnam debacle and the military's refusal to acknowledge its failure were the sign of the times. The Russians began developing better hardware than the bloated military industrial complex which was geared to blowing gazillions of dollars. Air Force developers were so poor that a Navy aircraft, the F-4 Phantom, was forced upon them. The F-111 became a pariah due to its failures and poor performance. The B-1 was cancelled due to its exorbitant cost and failures of the F-111. What do you do? Answer: begin a clandestine weapons development program within the Air Force. The Fighter Mafia began focusing on air combat superiority solely for its new fighters. Not a flying brick that has diverse mission packages all of which it performs poorly, but a sleek fighter to answer the threat of the Russian MIGs. The Mafia was a group of low-level civil employees and Air Force officers led by Colonel Boyd. Boyd developed his own maneuverability software algorithm that allowed them to design from the ground up a fighter with immense potential. Another acolyte began development of a replacement ground support fighter. The fighter was built around the 30 mm Avenger Cannon. With a long dwell time and the ability to take massive amounts of damage, the A-10 began production. The F-15, 16, and the A-10 were developed during these years by renegade officers fighting the Air Force establishment. The results, were no less than fantastic. Israeli pilots flying the F-15s and 16s clashed with the Syrian Air Force in the early 80s. The Syrian Russian MIGs were no match for American supplied fighters. The IAF downed over 80 MIGs in a span of a few days without a single loss. The 15s and 16s led the strikes in the First Gulf War and prowled the skies during Afghanistan and Iraq over two decades later. The A-10 was known as the Black Death to Iraqi ground troops. Whatever the A-10s locked onto became an inferno. American Air Power is as visible as the Highway of Death as Iraqi troops fleeing Kuwait were annihilated by the American Air Power developed by the Fighter Mafia.
Boyd retired since the writing on the wall was clear...no General promotion for you. The establishment does not sit well with successful guerrilla leaders. Boyd's retirement was not one of fishing, endless rounds of golf, or regaling those in the bar about his active duty exploits. Boyd developed a time and movement based warfare theory. He delved into the strategy masters, Sun Tzu, Clausewitz, Hart, the German Blitzkrieg experts, the IDF. He developed a new doctrine for warfare. Not just air power of which he was the crown prince, but a combined arms doctrine to crush an enemies reaction capability. He got inside their decision cycle. He created the OODA loop (look this one up...its a good one). No one bought off on it...except the Marines. A few in the USMC liked what they saw. Slowly with much wrangling and gnashing of teeth, the Marines accepted the Boyd doctrine as their own and perfected it. During Grenada one Army General seethed that he had several thousand soldiers immobile while two companies of Marines wreaked havoc around the entire island. The 100 hr Desert Storm land campaign featured an advance by the Marines against the Iraqi defense while the Army did a massive end run in the desert around the flank. The Army forces stalled for three days while the Marines Divisions advanced and mauled the Iraqi positions. Marine elements bypassed strong points and drove deep into the Iraqi positions. 15 Iraqi divisions surrendered to one Marine Division. Iraq had the 4th largest Army in the world.
My personal experience with the Marines during my time in Fallujah was eye-opening. Problems are easily overcome by thinking outside the box. If it is a crazy problem, just wait till you see our solutions. Marines are expected to solve their problems at the lowest level. Who comes up with the solution is not the point. In other words, the corporal may have the solution. Their job is to create confusion within the enemy. Destroy the decision making capability. Be where they are unexpected and vanish from their expected positions. General Mattis's call sign of "Chaos" is most fitting. I had no idea where this mentality came from. Now I do.
His underdog acolytes went on to do more. Boyd mentored them like a father. None were appreciated by the military. None made it to General. But the did manage to change the entire American spectrum of warfare. It is only fitting that an Air Force renegade and his merry band created the lightning doctrine that destroyed Iraqi military capability in a matter of days.
This is a true underdog story. The underdogs are always outgunned and outnumbered. They always are disdained by those of superior strength and position. So when they win, it is nothing less than spectacular. I always root for the underdogs. ...more
Nothing was so daunting a task to the world as the destruction of the Axis Powers. Yet, once that task was finished, the victorious Allies succumbed tNothing was so daunting a task to the world as the destruction of the Axis Powers. Yet, once that task was finished, the victorious Allies succumbed to suspicion, arrogance, and the murky world of power politics. Set in the aftermath of WWII and covering the time until the breakout of the Korean War, The Lost Peace explores how Britain, France, Russia, and the United States slowly polarized into the West versus the East. Democracy versus Communism. Good against evil. Much was driven by the personalities of Stalin, De Gaulle, Truman, and Churchill. Each would create his own world view which became national policy. Mix in England and France trying to hold onto the last vestiges of the empires creating the Colonial Wars, and now you have a splendid situation known as the beginnings of the Cold War. I found this one entertaining and enlightening....more
Too mighty, too powerful, for too long. Lots of too's there, but I believe that is what happened to MacArthur regarding his stellar career and his dowToo mighty, too powerful, for too long. Lots of too's there, but I believe that is what happened to MacArthur regarding his stellar career and his downward spiral to dismissal. We do not have MacArthur career paths anymore. He was Chief Of Staff of the Army. He then took over command of the Filipino forces and was de facto head of the Filipino Army.
The Pacific War 1941: War broke out too soon for the unready joint American/Filipino forces. A disastrous retreat and surrender. A flight to Australia. The reconquest of the Pacific. The United States created two prongs for the Pacific to handle Army and Navy rivalry, one for MacArthur and one for Nimitz. Five star rank followed.
At the end of the war, he was essentially viceroy to Japan. He lead the reconstruction efforts and established himself as the head of a state, not military governor, but the leader of a country. In essence we was a head of a conquered nation answering to the President of the United States.
Now comes Korea. The American occupation troops are no match for the North Korea forces. Soft occupation duty and dereliction regarding military readiness has left weak and unprepared forces to match the Korean veterans who had years of combat experience from fighting Chiang's Nationalist forces. The UN forces are driven to Pusan...another repeat of Bataan one may say. Except this time, MacArthur has a base of resupply next door and a Fleet unmatched by any the communist North can field and overwhelming air superiority. Still, the UN forces struggle to learn afresh the combat lessons of WWII forgotten while pursuing the pleasures of occupation duty. MacArthur with his island hopping brilliance creates Inchon and cuts of the NKPA and recaptures Seoul. A victory of enormous magnitude and brilliance. But MacArthur wants more. He now wants all of Korea and he courts war with the entire communist world. Total victory and reunification of the Korean peninsula are now the objectives. A general used to the ultimate victory of WWII would want no less. MacArthur creates another separate force in Korea under his Chief Of Staff, general Almond. Now there are two separate UN armies pushing north, answerable and coordinated by MacArthur in Tokyo. A mistake of enormous magnitude. The UN forces race to the Yalu. Slumbering China is not so sleepy. Slowly Chinese army groups move across the Yalu into North Korea moving only by night and aided by a bitter winter. Rumors of different soldiers being found and an unknown language on the radios filters back through the American Army to the Dai Ichi. The UN forces still move north with the distances separating between armies and divisions. Its almost as if they were invited. Chinese forces then strike and rout the overconfident UN forces. Chosin, Unsan, Kunari, and hundreds of other actions result in the UN forces being defeated and forced back. Pyongyang falls. Seoul is recaptured. MacArthur's invincibility is shattered.
That is essentially the stage that as the final act is set. MacArthur still wants his overall war with the communist world. Truman and the UN want a localized war only. How does a man of MacArthur's stature deal with a President thousands of miles away. A President that will not allow MacArthur's total war. Atomic bombs are also on the table as MacArthur proposes striking mainland China and bringing Taiwanese Nationalist Chinese soldiers back into the battle. The UN mandates only the War in Korea. Also, this is the beginning of the Red Scare in the US where communists are seen lurking among the American population. A President cannot appear weak on communism either. Whispers of MacArthur as the upcoming presidential Republican nomination begin. MacArthur feeds the press as a tough candidate that can handle world communism. MacArthur begins to make his own political reality which markedly diverges from those of Truman. The general is cautioned and directed to follow the JCS and the President's lead. Yet those military members of the Joint Chiefs were junior officers when MacArthur was already a general. Imagine how someone feels answering to those that are his junior even though they are in a position of authority. George C. Marshall is the SecDef as well...a man that MacArthur sparred with during his time in WWII. A test is now set for America. Is the military under civilian control, or can a general defy orders, set his own policy, and make the American military organization play to his strategy. Truman passes the test and dismisses MacArthur, at a cost of his future presidential ambitions.
The Korean War is much more than the West fighting communism. It is a test of American military-civil relations. Every war is a test of the constitutionality of the American system. Civilians control the military and ultimately fire senior military leaders who undermine our civilian leadership. Korea was the first modern test of this nature. I find the Korean War fascinating in this respect. Imagine what Korea would be today had MacArthur not driven recklessly towards the Yalu. Maybe a buffer zone only would separate China and Korea with the rest of the Korean nation being united. The DMZ is one of the most fortified areas on the planet. North Korea is a military dictatorship with a growing nuclear arsenal. What could have been different if MacArthur had not chosen his battle with Truman?...more
This is not a book. It was an opportunity. A chance. A vision of the future that was missed. Who missed that vision? We did.
Street Without Joy was wriThis is not a book. It was an opportunity. A chance. A vision of the future that was missed. Who missed that vision? We did.
Street Without Joy was written about the French miseries fighting the Viet Minh. How they struggled. How they lost. It was also written real time. It was published in 1961. Many years before we fully committed ground troops to what was to become a quagmire. But they were French. Why should we pay attention to someone who lost? We are Americans. We don't pay attention to anyone else because we know better don't we. We could have read and learned from these men. We lost an opportunity because of our arrogance.
Starting at World War II the Viet Minh filled the power vacuum once the Japanese folded. This was their strategy. They were solidly in power when the French made their return to Indochina. Trying desperately to reclaim their empire they ran into something much more powerful...nationalism. The Japanese had shown that European colonial powers could be defeated. Thus they could lose again. The Viet Minh were supported by the populace like no French puppet could.
The French fielded the largest army since the World War. The army was a road bound behemoth that tried to pin down an elusive enemy. Battles were fought. Some won. Some lost. Meanwhile battles across the world were being lost to the communists. China. Korea. Many more. The sanctuaries developed allowing the Viet Minh to hide and lick their wounds and frustrate their French antagonists. Experienced Chinese and Russian advisors came to assist the Vietnamese in their struggles.
The French were losing...and they knew it. They rolled the dice at Dien Bien Phu and got snake eyes. Their colonial venture was lost. The biggest loser was us though. We paid no attention to their lessons. Our arrogance cost us dearly. We have a habit of not listening or attending to those who have gone before us. Maybe next time we will....more
Shaman! That was a long book. A fantastic one though. Make sure you have a good solid month to get through this one. Over 300 years old diplomacy in oShaman! That was a long book. A fantastic one though. Make sure you have a good solid month to get through this one. Over 300 years old diplomacy in one solid book. 836 pages. Make sure you are very steeped in European history before you tackle this Achilles of history. I cannot begin to state the amount I have learned from this single book. Now for a long nap. ...more
I find the period between WWII and the start of the American troop deployments to Vietnam fascinating. So much history between Europe and Asia; betweeI find the period between WWII and the start of the American troop deployments to Vietnam fascinating. So much history between Europe and Asia; between the West and the Communist Block. I also find Korea rarely covered and for that reason, I regularly grab a book on the subject, albeit not often enough.
Fehrenbach covered the ground war of Korea well. He started with the Japanese occupation and left with the repatriation of POWS. Some books cover the early part of the war and gloss over the hill battles. Fehrenback paid adequate attention to all phases of the Korean conflict. I found his commentary on the South Korean points of view enlightening as well. A good all around story of the Forgotten War....more
This is my first delving into the Chinese Communist Leader other than what I have read in other history books. I marked this one as a four due to the This is my first delving into the Chinese Communist Leader other than what I have read in other history books. I marked this one as a four due to the small amount of historical content. I will need to read some other texts to get a firmer grasp of Mao.
For a quick read, this book would be perfect as a supplement to someone who has an understanding of Communist China's early history. The book covers the rise of an obscure communist leader who successfully pushes the Nationalist Chinese out of the country (without outside assistance) and lays the foundation for China's emergence as a superpower. The book is also alive with coverage of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution along with the political intriques thrown in for flavor. Overall a very interesting read and I look forward to learning more about Mao and Communist China....more
This was a good one. I find this one interesting due its laying the groundwork of the terrorism we know and many of us have fought today. The author tThis was a good one. I find this one interesting due its laying the groundwork of the terrorism we know and many of us have fought today. The author ties together the end of the Cold War and our "victory" over communism and describes the looming threat of radical Islamic fundamentalists. The story of Charlie Wilson is a good one and all military professionals should understand how we killed off one enemy only to create another....more
Quick comments here. Please read this one if you want to truly understand more about American wars/conflicts outside of WWI, WWII, and Vietnam. I trulQuick comments here. Please read this one if you want to truly understand more about American wars/conflicts outside of WWI, WWII, and Vietnam. I truly believe we as military professionals should understand all of our conflicts instead of the ones we were great at and those staring us in the face....more
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