Low-Intensity Conflict: the British Experience
The precept that war is an instrument of policy has been a basic premise of military writers since Karl von Clausewitz produced his famous treatise On War almost two hundred years ago. More recently the notion that armed forces reflect the societies that create them has become a second cardinal principle of military studies. Despite the universally acknowledged veracity of the two assumptions, however, military historians far too often focus on war as a purely military phenomenon. They allow policy discussions to intrude into their campaign narratives almost as reluctantly as soldiers admit policy makers onto the battlefield. Historians are more comfortable discussing strategy, tactics, and logistics than they are considering the effect of social attitudes and cultural values on the actual conduct of operations.