The following paper evaluates the influence of Geoffrey Parker’s theory ‘The Western Way of Wars’ is regards to the current military conflicts the US is engaged in with Iraq and Afghanistan. To these ends the following paper will be divided up into three sections. First, section 1 concentrates on explain the five facets of Parker’s theory on the western way of wars. This is followed by two sections which apply Parker’s theory to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. As well as this, the analysis of the US conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan draws from historic military presidents and theory to provide a clear and concise analysis.
Geoffrey Parker’s Western Way Of War
There are five underlying principles to Geoffrey Parker’s western way of war which come under the headings of technology, discipline, military tradition, adaption and finance (Parker, 2005, pp.1-6). Parker argues the West’s focus on each of these principles have provided a military advantage throughout history (Parker, 2005). To better illustrate how Parkers five principle have become essential in warfare they will be explored through examining the Battle of Trafalgar (21st October 1805). The Battle of Trafalgar involved the British Royal Navy (consisting of 27 ships) engaging with a combined French and Spanish force (consisting of 33 ships). At the battles end the British had sunk 22 ships without a single loss. There were two main factors that contributed to this victory, first was a combination of technology and discipline: English gunners could fire at a much greater rate due to the use of flintlock firing system in comparison to the traditional fuse system. Accompanying this advantage was the fact that the British Navy was a much more disciplined force, who had lengthy gun drills and severe punishments for insubordination. Second was the British navy’s ability to adapt to the situation. Knowing they were vastly outnumbered the Lord Nelson created a unique battle plan never before seen in navy history. Traditionally each fleet would form a parallel line and fire upon each other, Lord Nelson however ordered his ships to break through the enemy lines at speed and engage the enemy at close combat.
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Iraq
The recent conflict in Iraq demonstrated without a doubt the superior technology and economic resources on the side of the West. The land invasion in 2003 was over in less than two weeks due to the lack of resistance and technique disadvantage of Saddam Hussein’s military. In contrast the United States had a huge technological advantage. One example of the technological superiority of the West was the deployment of the CBU-97 air born cluster bomb (Knights, 2005). This weapon was first used in the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Second it seems clear that the U.S and allied forces in the invasion of Iraq demonstrated a lack of discipline in the enemy. It was reported at the time many Iraqi commanders of divisions were persuaded to surrender prior to the land invasion. Indeed, although the Invasion of Iraq itself was a relatively quick conflict, the greater threat came after the Hussein regime had been toppled as insurgents began to use guerilla tactics. As this form of warfare is very similar to the type of conflict experienced in Afghanistan these tactics and the developing counter tactics are discussed in the following section.
Afghanistan
Again, an analysis of the recent conflict in Afghanistan demonstrates many of the foundational principles of Parker’s theory. One of the problems associated with the conflict in Afghanistan has been the guerilla tactics employed by the Taliban usually through the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED). Such a tactic was first devised in the Spanish Iberian Peninsula during the peninsula war. The use of disruption tactics against the invading French force by the Spanish included disrupting lines of communication and supplies which slowly took its toll. A similar tactic is now being deployed by in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the responses to the ever growing uses of IED’s in both Afghanistan and Iraq has been the series of countermeasures being researched (Wilson, 2006). Indeed, the Department of Defense has even set up a research task force to specifically identify ways to counter IED’s which include high frequency radio jammers (to disrupt detonation), automated detonation pulses, and robotics to safely deal with the threat (Wilson, p. 3-4). These counter measures demonstrate how Parker’s principle of adaption in war fare is still in operation today, forming a key response to different types of warfare.
Conclusion
The lesions from the conflict in Afghanistan seem clear. The traditional war between States is slowly becoming a thing of the past; the new wars are fought against an enemy without a flag or commander resorting to guerilla and terrorist tactics in response to the west’s economic and technological might. In order to devise a series of new tactics within an overall framework it is essential to use Porter’s Western Ways of War to better respond to an ever changing military landscape. One of the most challenging tasks is countering the various new tactics of the enemy through innovation and strategic application of theory.
- Parker, G. (2005) The Cambridge History of Warfare. London: Cambridge University Press
- Knights, M. (2005) Cradel of Conflict: Iraq and the Birth of the Modern U.S. Military. (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press)
- Wilson, C. (2006). Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Iraq and Afghanistan: Effects and Countermeasures. CRS Report for Congress. Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/
