Warfare and Defence

Military strategy plays a vital role in every conflict. Inspired by the great military theoreticians Sun Tzu, Niccolò Machiavelli, and Carl von Clausewitz, Military Strategy: A Very Short Introduction highlights the dynamic relationship among the principal components of strategy: purpose, method, and means. It draws on examples such as Hannibal’s war against Rome, Napoleon’s victory at Austerlitz, the Allies’ campaign to overwhelm Hitler’s Fortress Europe, and the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, to illustrate the factors contributing to the success or failure of military strategy. The major types of military strategy and their advantages and disadvantages are described: annihilation and dislocation, attrition and exhaustion, deterrence and coercion, terror and terrorism, targeted killing, and cyber power.Less

Terrorism: A Very Short Introduction examines the historical, ideological, and local roots of terrorist violence and explores terrorism in relation to revolutionary power, nationalism, and religious extremism. Is one person’s terrorist another’s freedom fighter? Is terrorism crime or war? What can we do to stop it? For many, the terrorist attacks of September 2001 changed the face of the world, pushing terrorism to the top of many political agendas. This VSI considers recent changes in terrorism, such as the emergence of ISIS and upsurge in individual suicide action, looking at the impact and consequences of several recent terrorist attacks, and outlining the complex issues related to antiterrorist and counterterrorist measures.Less