Army Defence Studies

Army Defence Studies taught throughout my course where within the areas listed below, please take a look at the conferences listed above, along with the other additional pieces of information (displayed below), they will assist you in one form or another when you are doing your Education EFP 1 (Education for promotion) or EFP 2.

A. The Strategic Environment:

The strategic environment in post war Europe.
The strategic environment today.

B. British Defence Policy

The formulation of the British Defence Policy.
The British Defence Policy today.
Changes in the British Defence Policy.

C. Employment of Military Force.

Causes of Conflict.
Constraints on the Modern Warfare.
Instruments of Foreign Policy.
Constraints of Modern Warfare.
Spectrum of Conflict.

Along with the topics above we also completed 3 ADS Written Assessments, and during the final week an ADS final project presentation. This final presentation was done between 4 people. The Final presentation pack was also handed into the staff to be marked the day before the presentation was due to take place.

Throughout the course every person is assessed on their ability to:

Analyse the impact of current Defence issues upon the role and tasks of the Army.
Apply numerical data to support decision making.
Analyse the impact of current affairs on the formulation of British Defence policy.
Identify and extract relevant information to solve problems.
Write clear and coherent logical English in service formats where appropriate.
Communicate complex information and ideas in discussions, briefings and presentations.

The Strategic Environment in Post War Europe. At the end of the second world war NATO was formed along with the Warsaw pact. The common Enemy was Nazi Germany, Communists and Capitalist united to defeat Hitler, many of the resistance groups by the Allies were communists. With the defeat of Nazi Germany, however, such unity was lost and the fundamental difference in ideologies and opinions began to emerge.

The Yalta Conference 1945. These differences were clear by the time Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin met at Yelta in February 1945, one of the topics on the agender during this meeting was the future of Germany and the following was decided:

1. Germany would be split up into 4 areas
A.British B. American C. French D. Soviet.
2. The occupying power would work to restore the German economy.
3. All 4 zones will eventually be united into a single democratic state.
4. Each zone will be under military control.

Berlin posed a problem as it was the capital of Germany and was also in the zone that the soviets were holding. For reasons of prestige the allies felt that 4 power control of the city was necessary and so it was agreed that:

1. Berlin would be divided into 4 sectors
A. The British Sector. B. The French Sector. C. The American Sector. 4. The Soviet Sector.
2. Access for the British, French and Americans wil be via Air, Road and Rail Corridors.
3. The City would be administered by a 4 power Allied Control Council

This failed, due to all the Allies failing to implement these agreements after the war ended and also led to further deterioration of relations. When Roosevelt died the affairs were made worse and another conference was held in Potsdam.

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The Threat from the East; Two of the maiin aims, that caused a threat after the second world war, firstly, that the Soviets wanted to spread communism throughout the world because they throught that Capitalism was a cancer to within soceity and secondly that the USSR had to protect its self from any form of invasion. The way that the USSR protected its self was to maintain control of the countries on its western border and use them as a buffer zone between them and the remainder of the western powers. At the negotiating table it was clear that Stalin was not prepared to compromise in any dealins with the west allies. Due to the losses that Stalin had during the war (20 million) he wanted material and territorial reparations, he felt hard done by, compared to the USA, who had lost in the region of 400,000 people. Sir Winston Churchill was very concerned about the territorial reparations and was anxious to meet the advancing Soviet forces, denying them any form of foothold in post war Europe. Soviet influence spread rapidly due to the advance of the USSR throughout eastern Europe, as they swooped over East germany, Eastern Czechoslovakia, Romania and parts of Poland. The Soviets also gained a presence in Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria and this was the USSR buffer Zone.

Churchill knew that the USSR would not give up this newly gained territory easy and during a speech in Missouri voiced his oppinion and concern that:

"From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste on the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain has descended across the Continent".

The Soviets had kept their economy on a war footing and despite significant demobilisation, the Soviets were keeping approximatly 4 million men within Eastern Europe as a presence to the remainder of the world outside the eastern block. Eventually the countries that were within the crasp of the USSR came under the control of the communists, such as Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Poland.

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USSR

East Germany

Bulgaria

Czechoslovakia

Hungary

Poland

Romania

Nationalist and separatist Groups: These are the types of terrorist that will campaign for the self determination of people who will exist usually as a minority within a state. They are often or not known as "freedom fighters" and will have support from the public, in some form.

Anarchist Groups: will not have any form of ideology but will try and overthrow the Government system. They are not normally part of any wider movement group and will lack in support.

Political and Ideological Group: Some terrorist organisations will have an aim to change any political sicial and economic systems within a state. Examples of this would be communist insurgents such as the Vietcong in the Vietnam War, who used terrorism as a tactic to undermine the government during a phase of revolutionary warfare.

state and Sponsored terrorism: This is a method that states use proxies to create political and economic instability in another country. The way that this will work is that, money training, material support will be offered to terrorist organisations already operating against the target country. The most notorious practitioner today is Colonel Gaddafi of Libya, with his open support to the IRA. This is a good approach to avoid any form of direct contact to a powerful enemy.

State Terrorism: This is a term used to define the illegitimate use of violence by a state against sections of its own population. The state will then be able to deprive the group of its basic rights. As an example of this, I use the Iraq`s treatment of the Kurdish population since the 1980s.

Single issue Terrorism: Pressure groups might have an extremist element who, on occasion, resorts to acts of violence in order to publicise the cause they allegedly support.

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The Spectrum of Conflict: The Commander of the AARC will review his responsibilities covering the spectrum of conflict, these will include humanitarian and peacekeeping roles including major war operations.

High Intensity Conflict: There are two types of war General and Limited, however, in both cases there is a response to use Military might or warfighting.

General War: This type of war will reflect the country`s commitment and the resources necessary to pursue the conflict. Some of the main reasons why this is called a general war is because of the weapons used, including nuclear weapons. The area that will be used is extensive and the targets will be civilian as well as Military and economic. There will be umlimited aims such as total destruction of the enemy, unconditional surrender and the destruction of political ideology.

The first and second World Wars were General wars, however, even when these wars were on going there were limitations, such as biological weapons not being used.

Limited War: This is when some limitations are imposed by the warring sides, the limitations will fall into a number of categories such as the weapons that are used, chemical weapons are not used but they are available if required. The area used will be deliberately restricted to avoid other countries being drawn into the conflict. Civilian targets will be avoided. The aim will be limited to total Military destruction of the enemy or its political system.

Low Intensity Conflict: will have a wide ranging category that will include conflicts usually falling short of a full general war.

Civil Disorder: is illegal but will normally come from the legal right to protest such as strikes and marches that have got out of hand. An example will be the apprentice boys march in 1969 that was the catalyst for so much rioting that the Army had to be called in to control the population.

Humanitarian Aid: This type of operation will include the U.N (United Nations) and Nations will supply troops to work under one commander. The best example of this would be Bosnia.

Revolutionary War This will generally try to overthrow the state and its social system and will have the support of the majority of the population. it may develope through a series of phases such as guerrilla activity or conventional operations.

 

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