...comparison has often received short shrift in relation to this subject. This is best illustrated by Kenneth Chase, who begins his work Firearms: A Global History to 1700 with this query: “Why was it the Europeans who perfected firearms when it was the Chinese who invented them?” (1) The underlying message of the statement therefore is that while the region (East Asia) might produce the occasional interesting moment for military history, the real determinants for military theory were occurring elsewhere. Chase’s complete thesis is a bit more pragmatic; hinging on the observation that constant emphasis on steppe warfare led East Asian powers to neglect the increasingly important gunpowder revolution. This seems a bit heavy-handed, however and fails to address the fact that firearms and the gunpowder revolution were not always one and the same; or the fact that firearms were of limited use on the steppe until well into the nineteenth century. Yet the steppe was certainly a source of military challenge to the region, whether directly or indirectly. It might be enlightening to study how a steppe military challenge influenced the social and institutional developments of a particular East Asian...
Words: 2747 - Pages: 11
...The History of the Navy SEAL’s Cory Mooney Comp 1 November 16, 2012 Minnis Abstract Today’s SEAL’s heritage, missions, capabilities, and combat lessons-learned from daring groups that no longer exist, were important to Allied Victory’s in World War II and the Korean conflict. These groups were the Naval Combat Demolition Units (NCDU’s), and Navy Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT’s). These groups trained in the early 1940’s and saw combat in Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific, now disbanded after World War II. The UDT’s were used again and expanded quickly for the Korean War in 1950. Exercising ingenuity and courage; these special maritime units executed, with relatively few casualties, many of the missions, tactics, techniques and procedures that SEAL’s still perform today. The History of the Navy SEAL’s The history of the US Navy SEAL’s dates back to World War II and the numerous units that were created to fill specific military needs. Amphibious landings were still a new operation and new tactics had to be written with every operation. New vehicles were developed to get soldiers to shore quickly and efficiently, yet there were still obstacles that could cause failure of a landing. The enemy could fortify a beach with obstacles which could tear out the hull of an approaching boat and sink it; drowning its men and preventing the approach for other boats. Underwater obstacles could also be natural, such as coral or sandbars, completely uncharted, and changing daily...
Words: 2578 - Pages: 11
...Korean War Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 - armistice signed 27 July 1953[1] ) was a military conflict between the Republic of Korea, supported by the United Nations, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China (PRC), with military material aid from the Soviet Union. The war was a result of the physical division of Korea by an agreement of the victorious Allies at the conclusion of the Pacific War at the end of World War II. The Korean peninsula was ruled by Japan from 1910 until the end of World War II. Following the surrender of Japan in 1945, American administrators divided the peninsula along the 38th Parallel, with United States troops occupying the southern part and Soviet troops occupying the northern part.[2] The failure to hold free elections throughout the Korean Peninsula in 1948 deepened the division between the two sides, and the North established a Communist government. The 38th Parallel increasingly became a political border between the two Koreas. Although reunification negotiations continued in the months preceding the war, tension intensified. Cross-border skirmishes and raids at the 38th Parallel persisted. The situation escalated into open warfare when North Korean forces invaded South Korea on 25 June 1950.[3] It was the first significant armed conflict of the Cold War.[4] The United Nations, particularly the United States, came to the aid of South Korea in repelling the invasion. A...
Words: 23177 - Pages: 93
...total war where all of a country’s resources should be utilized in waging war since the enemy would surely do the same. Following WWII Americans were used to the idea of large armies, clear objectives, and decisive victories; however these ideas would be reconsidered in the years following WWII leading up to the Korean War. During the Korean War the idea of total war became less popular and ideas which were more in line with Sun Tzu’s idea of a limited war became the policy of the Truman administration. There are many possible reasons why Truman chose to conduct a limited war in Korea. One possible reason for Truman’s policy might have been “China’s entry into the Korean War in November put an abrupt end to any immediate hopes of trying to separate Moscow and Peking.” (Strategies of Containment, P-116) In 1950 American forces were not prepared to engage in a total war with China and the Soviet Union and Truman and MacArthur both realized these deficiencies within the U.S. military. The scope of my argument in this essay will not be about what type of war, limited or total, is best because there are certain instances where a limited war is desired and there are times when total war is required. I will however address the period between December 1950 and March 1951 where I feel that Truman’s choice to wage a limited war was better than MacArthur’s belief that the U.S. either engage in a total war with the communists or withdraw from Korea and prepare for total war with...
Words: 2112 - Pages: 9
...Was the Korea War a civil war or an international conflict? Name University Course Tutor Date Was the Korea War a civil war or an international conflict? Background of the Korea War The Korean War which took place between 1950 and 1953 involved the most powerful countries in the world at the time who engaged in one of most important wars on the Korean Peninsula. In the Korean War almost led to eruption of a third world war. This is the only war that brought together the military forces of the United States, the Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China and the Korean forces in a combat (Malkasian, 2009). The Korean War involved two major issues; that is, political control of Korea and power struggle between the East Asia versus the rest of the world. The war changed affected and consequently changed how the East and the west interacted with one another (Malkasian, 2009). After Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule following the end of the Second World War, it got divided and occupied by the Soviet Union and the United States of America. The two countries were the major superpowers at the time. They occupied the north and the south respectively (Jang, 2010). The two great nations had conspicuously differing ideologies and this factor led to formation of two different governments in Korea in the year 1948. The south formed the government of the Republic of Korea (ROK), with the support of the United States under the leadership of Syngman Rhee. The northern...
Words: 2162 - Pages: 9
...While the Cold War lasted for over forty years and ended with a resounding defeat of communism, it faded into a confrontation of proxies and indirect sparring. The buildup to the Cuban Missile Crisis was drawn out and measured in the diplomatic battles that were waged. Although the Cold War started after the end of World War II, it was the Cuban Missile Crisis that brought the world to the brink of a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Most historians mark the start of the Cold War on February 4, 1945 at the Yalta Conference between Josef Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin Roosevelt. At this point in the war, Stalin had a 12 million-man army with 300 divisions that had already reached the Oder River. They were only waiting for the order to attack toward Berlin. The Red Army commander was ordered by Stalin to pause while the conference was in session. While Roosevelt was at the conference, it was obvious that he was not in the best health from photographs that were taken. He was accused by some of his critics of selling out at Yalta and handing Eastern Europe to Stalin. Here was also the accusation that he had made secret deals with Stalin at this conference. “Bert Andrews in the New York Herald Examiner wrote about 4 secret deals: Russia's demand for $20 billion in reparations from Germany, for Poland to the Curzon line, for 3 seats in the United Nations, for territory in the Far East including Outer Mongolia, south Sakhalin Island, the Kuriles”...
Words: 1904 - Pages: 8
...PSYCHOLOGICAL OPERATIONS QUOTES If your opponent is of choleric temper, try to irritate him. If he is arrogant try to encourage his egotism. (If the enemy troops are well prepared after reorganization, try to wear them down. If they are united, try to sow dissension among them. General Tao Hanzhang, translated by Yuan Shibing, Sun Tzu's The Art Of War To capture the enemy's entire army is better than to destroy it; to take intact a regiment, a company, or a squad is better than to destroy them. For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the supreme of excellence. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence. Sun Tzu "The first casualty of war is truth. Rudyard Kipling One need not destroy one's enemy. One need only destroy his willingness to engage. Sun Tzu There are but two powers in the world, the sword and the mind. In the long run the sword is always beaten by the mind. Napoleon Bonaparte In War, the moral is to the material as three is to one. Napoleon Bonaparte We were as hypnotized by the enemy's propaganda as a rabbit is by a snake. General Eric Von Ludendorf, German General Staff, 1918 The British bombarded our front not only with drum-fire of shells, but also with a drum-fire of printed paper. Besides bombs which kill the body, they drop from the air leaflets which are intended to kill the soul. Fieldmarshall Hindenberg, 1918 All propaganda has to be popular and has to adapt its spiritual level...
Words: 2186 - Pages: 9
...“The speed, accuracy and devastating power of American artillery won confidence and admiration from the troops it supported and inspired fear and respect in their enemy” General Dwight D. Eisenhower once spoke. No fewer words could be true. American artillery has been present in every major American war since the late 1770’s branding field artillery as the “King of Battle”. Field artillery is a constant progression of tactical and technical proficiency. The effects of simple mechanics put to effective use have decided many of the battles fought within the infancy of our great nation. From the American Revolution to Operation Enduring Freedom, field artillery has set itself apart from other branches of military service. Field artillery has influenced warfare through the evolution of its pieces and munitions. Simple mechanics created the first field artillery weapons. The catapult was made of wood and rope under tension resembling a crossbow in appearance. The invention of catapults gave armies the ability to attack from a distance. Catapults became the main siege weapon because of the amount of destruction caused. The Ballista was a defensive form of field artillery created. It used a crank to increase the tension needed to fire the weapon. The Trebuchet was the next piece created to employ larger projectiles at fortified positions and soldiers. Catapults, Ballista’s, and Trebuchet’s gave a decisive advantage to commanders on the battlefield. Artillery pieces have...
Words: 1284 - Pages: 6
...2014 Psychological Warfare. In this report I am going to explain how propaganda and psychological warfare influences and manipulates people to make them support a country. I am going to show how the media works as the medium through which the governments spread their propaganda. The government manipulates masses using pamphlets, speeches, morality and priorities. This manipulation is done through the media. Media and subjects like censure are going to be discussed in this report. I will show how the Persian Gulf War can be set on as an example of the media spreading government propaganda and psychological warfare. This report also includes an analysis on propaganda and it’s denotative and connotative meanings. This report is also going to show us it’s effect and importance in our community and society. Whats Propaganda All of us, know about the horrors and the devastation that are a result of wars. Despite these horrors, we act indifferent towards war and it’s effect on the world community. Countries’ governments manage to manipulate us and make us think that their war actions against another nation, race or culture are well justified. Nations make the members of the society believe, that they are doing the right thing, and that this military action against a declared enemy is the most desirable thing to do in order to keep “the world’s stability and peace”. For this reason people say we are “meant” to help and serve our country, in it’s war against their enemy which...
Words: 2808 - Pages: 12
...2+3+1+5+5+3+4+4+5+4=36 I think it's never easy for me to speak my mind, because I read a lot of stories about how a blunt straightforward man to be persecution. Just like Peng Dehuai and HaiRui. They are honest and frank, they speak there mind, put forward some right suggestion, but that is why they were persecuted by Chinese monarch. So when I was work in a Chinese small company, I always put forward stupid suggestion to guide my manager to do right decision. The result was my manager felt good and he promoted more fast than other, so am I. Most time if information is care about my group I will share it but if it is care about me I will never share it, There is a proverb :"Love your neighbour, yet not down your fence". I do everything in this principle. I'm learning everyday, most time leaning by myself and reflecting, sometimes learning from others, observer what they did good or bad, and listen there viewpoint. I never think I did 100% correctly, but I make max interest for everyone as much as I can. In a group everyone works for there interest, if a manager can give them enough interest, they will work hard and do there best. Info about HaiRui and Peng DeHuai from Wiki >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hai Rui (23 January 1514 – 13 November 1587) was a Chinese official of the Ming Dynasty. In China he has been remembered as a model of honesty and integrity in office. A play based on his career, Hai Rui Dismissed from Office...
Words: 940 - Pages: 4
...IRAQ FINAL PAPER Events in Iraq have prompted some people on the left to make comparisons to the American experience in the Vietnam War. These people argue that the United States has put itself into an in-extractable “quagmire” from which there is no feasible withdrawal. This type of reasoning by historical comparison is not wise because no two historical events are completely alike. In the case of Iraq and Vietnam, extreme caution should be exercised in comparing two wars so far apart in historical circumstances, geography, and time. It becomes pretty obvious that the differences between the two conflicts greatly outnumber the similarities. This is especially true in the strategic and military dimensions of the two wars. There is simply no comparison between the environment, the scale of military presence, losses incurred over time, the quality of enemy resistance, the role and scope of enemy allies, and the duration of open warfare style combat. There are, however, two political parts of the Iraq and Vietnam wars that are similar in nature: our attempts at nation-building in a foreign culture, and our trying to sustaining domestic popular support in a long and drawn out war against insurgents. Policymakers should have an understanding of the reasons for U.S. political failure in South Vietnam, as well as for the Johnson and Nixon administrations’ failure to sustain popular support for the accomplishment of U.S. military objectives in Vietnam. A repeat of those failures...
Words: 1628 - Pages: 7
...Events in Iraq have prompted some people on the left to make comparisons to the American experience in the Vietnam War. These people argue that the United States has put itself into an in-extractable “quagmire” from which there is no feasible withdrawal. This type of reasoning by historical comparison is not wise because no two historical events are completely alike. In the case of Iraq and Vietnam, extreme caution should be exercised in comparing two wars so far apart in historical circumstances, geography, and time. It becomes pretty obvious that the differences between the two conflicts greatly outnumber the similarities. This is especially true in the strategic and military dimensions of the two wars. There is simply no comparison between the environment, the scale of military presence, losses incurred over time, the quality of enemy resistance, the role and scope of enemy allies, and the duration of open warfare style combat. There are, however, two political parts of the Iraq and Vietnam wars that are similar in nature: our attempts at nation-building in a foreign culture, and our trying to sustaining domestic popular support in a long and drawn out war against insurgents. Policymakers should have an understanding of the reasons for U.S. political failure in South Vietnam, as well as for the Johnson and Nixon administrations’ failure to sustain popular support for the accomplishment of U.S. military objectives in Vietnam. A repeat of those failures in Iraq could have...
Words: 3524 - Pages: 15
...“SOLD IN WAR: Women Trafficking and Armed Conflicts Introduction: A universal attribute of any society, tribe, or nation is its capacity and obvious willingness to wage wars. Whether or not to vanquish, to colonize, to protect, to develop, or to with ease set up a symbolic superiority, a nation’s use of military actions performs an primary function within the definition of that nation’s identification. Whatever the marketed purpose of a war, nonetheless, it is finally a social occasion that regularly allows for the dying and suffering of each warring parties and civilians and for the exploitation of thousands of men and women, children and adults on a grand scale. The chaos and turmoil of wartime seems to carry out the worst qualities in human beings. In an article published in the University of St. Thomas Law Journal it highlights that a major tenet of the laws of war is that “civilians, and women and children in particular, are to be protected from the trials and suffering of war to the fullest extent possible”. Therefore, it is ultimately the task of each military and its members to make sure their behaviors are consistent with the specifications in International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Even though the complete avoidance of civilian deaths and suffering is not realistic, it is the responsibility of an armed force to not intentionally target civilians and to consider operations in terms of the concepts of distinction, military necessity and proportionality. By their very nature...
Words: 6761 - Pages: 28
...1 NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND THE ESCALATION OF THE COLD WAR, 1945-1962 David Holloway, Stanford University Nuclear weapons are so central to the history of the Cold War that it can be difficult to disentangle the two. Did nuclear weapons cause the Cold War? Did they contribute to its escalation? Did they help to keep the Cold War “cold?” We should ask also how the Cold War shaped the development of atomic energy. Was the nuclear arms race a product of Cold War tension rather than its cause? The Atomic Bomb and the Origins of the Cold War The nuclear age began before the Cold War. During World War II, three countries decided to build the atomic bomb: Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Britain put its own work aside and joined the Manhattan Project as a junior partner in 1943. The Soviet effort was small before August 1945. The British and American projects were driven by the fear of a German atomic bomb, but Germany decided in 1942 not to make a serious effort to build the bomb. In an extraordinary display of scientific and industrial might, the United States made two bombs ready for use by August 1945. Germany was defeated by then, but President Truman decided to use the bomb against Japan. The decision to use the atomic bomb has been a matter of intense controversy. Did Truman decide to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order, as he claimed, to end the war with Japan without further loss of American lives? Or did he drop the bombs in order to intimidate the Soviet...
Words: 8814 - Pages: 36
...country in Southeast Asia collapsed to Communism then surrounding countries would soon fall” to rally support for their intentions to save Vietnam from Communism (Davidson, 2011, p. 839). The true reasons for U.S. involvement in the Vietnam Conflict is debatable, however one thing is clear, the war caused further division in a country already suffering from its own social issues. There had been conflict in the Vietnam long before the U.S. became involved in the conflict. Vietnam had been occupied by foreign countries for many years, and by 1940, Vietnam was under both French and Japanese rule. Ho Chi Minh, a Communist Vietnamese revolutionary leader, vowed to create a Vietnam that was independent of foreign rule (Davidson, 2011, p. 839). Ho Chi Minh established the Viet Minh whose main purpose was to liberate Vietnam from French and Japanese control. Northern Vietnam supported the Viet Minh efforts to create an independent Vietnam and joined forces with southern communist Vietcong to overthrow South Vietnam and unite Vietnam under one Communist government. The French were unwilling to relinquish control of Vietnam and decided to fight back. The U.S., in an effort to uphold its Cold War foreign policy of containment, which basically meant preventing the spread of Communism, decided to support the French by providing military aid. However, in 1954, the French decided to withdraw after a defeat at Dien Bein Phu. The Geneva...
Words: 1312 - Pages: 6
