Winning Hearts and Minds

Head Strong ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 138-157
Author(s):  
Michael D. Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Military Leaders ◽  
The Social ◽  
World Opinion ◽  
Tactical Decisions ◽  
The Military ◽  
Hearts And Minds

In the large wars of the 20th century, victory depended first and foremost on raw combat power. Bigger and more powerful bombs, faster and more deadly aircraft, and better tanks and warships determined who won the battle. These weapons continue to be important but now, more than ever, strategic victory hinges on cultural savvy and the ability to win over the opinion and support of the population where military operations are occurring and worldwide public opinion as well. It does little good to win a battle if, in doing so, the local population is alienated and world opinion soiled. This chapter examines how the military is going about the task of training cultural awareness and sensitivity among its members and how psychological science may be used to improve operational success by enabling military leaders to base tactical decisions, at least in part, on the social and cultural terrain. Social network analysis and negation training is described.

Leading Others in the Digital Age

Head Strong ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 199-215
Author(s):  
Michael D. Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Radio Communication ◽  
Mission Success ◽  
The Social ◽  
Chain Of Command ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Social Use ◽  
The Military

The dominance of digital and social media in our lives presents opportunities both to enhance positive social influence and to interfere with it. Traditional military chain of command is rigid and evolved in the era before radio communication was possible. The ability to issue orders and plans in near real-time enables the speed of decision-making to be greatly increased, increasing the lethality of contemporary military operations. On the negative side, misuse of social media by individual solders can have devastating negative impacts at the strategic level. In this context topics of soft power and external manipulation of social media to disrupt morale are discussed. Psychologists may help the military better understand the positive use of information technology to achieve mission success and also develop training and other methods to mitigate against the social use of these technologies.

Officers of the Russian Imperial army as part of the confrontation sides of the Tambov rebellion of 1920–1921

2020 ◽  
pp. 234-244
Author(s):  
Vladimir V. Kanishchev
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Political Leadership ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
Soviet Power ◽  
Political Repression ◽  
Military Leaders ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sufficient Degree ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Military

We consider a new aspect of the well-studied themе, related to objective circumstances and subjective motives for choosing a life position in the Civil war: the entry of former officers of the Russian Imperial army into the ranks of the Soviet or rebel armed forces. First of all, contradic-tions in information about the pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary military service of a se-lected circle of persons are revealed. With a sufficient degree of accuracy, 16 former officers who became the leaders of the suppression of the “Antonovshchina” in 1920–1921 and a maximum of 23 rebel commanders from the ranks of officers of the “old” army are identified. Differences of the social and professional image of the commanders of the opposing sides are established. Among the Soviet commanders, career officers from different classes prevailed, including 5 peasants (only 1 – Russian), of non-Tambov origin, who entered the region no earlier than 1917. On the contrary, among the rebel military leaders, all, except for one tradesman, came from the peasant class (only 3 were not from the Tambov Governorate). However, the loyalty of some former rebel commanders to their political leadership was low. Therefore, the study specially analyzes the “psychology of betrayal” of such people who went over to the side of the Soviet troops. The military leaders of the suppression of the Tambov rebellion, who came from the officer environment, made a choice in favor of Soviet power in 1917–1918 and by 1920 they repeatedly showed loyalty to the “workers’ and peasants’ state”. However, for the time being, this state recognized the devotion of, in principle, alien to it “gold-chasers”. In the 1930s almost all officers who took part in the suppression of the Tambov rebellion became victims of political repression.

Perception of the nature and population of the Caucasian theatre of war by representatives of the Russian health service

2020 ◽  
pp. 208-225
Author(s):  
Elizaveta E. Polianskaya (Artyushkova) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Care ◽  
Mutual Influence ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Red Cross ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
The Caucasus ◽  
European Part Of Russia ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Sanitary Conditions ◽  
The Military

In this essay, the author attempts to discuss the perception by doctors and nurses of the nature of territories of the Caucasus front and the relationship of representatives of the Russian medical and sanitary services with the local population. In this study, the author refers to reports, diaries, memoirs, and press reports of doctors, nurses, orderlies and representatives of the military sanitary department, the Russian Red Cross Society, the Zemstvo and city Union, and other organizations. Contemporaries and participants of the studied events repeatedly point to the “peculiarity” of the Caucasian front. The “special conditions” of the Caucasian theatre had a serious impact on the conduct of hostilities there and, of course, on the work of the medical service. Most of the medical and sanitary representatives of the service of the Caucasian theatre of military operations came from the European part of Russia and for the first time were faced with different natural, geographical, and sanitary conditions, as well as the traditions and mentality of the populations of Transcaucasia, Turkey, and Persia. Some of the staff had lived previously in the Caucasus, but nevertheless encountered a different cultural and natural environment being in Asia Minor and Persia. In these conditions, it was more difficult to organize the medical care of the army, the refugees, and to improve the sanitary situation in the territories occupied by the Russian army. It is important to highlight the unusual nature of that time: it was the first opportunity for women to be involved in this process. Women of the “East” lived in the territories occupied by Russians, while women of the “West” held positions as doctors, nurses, heads of the economy, etc., and they came there together concerning the institutions of sanitary and medical care. At the Caucasian Front, we can discern a forced meeting of “East” and “West”, which had a mutual influence on each other.

Conflicting Modernities: Militarization and Islands

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aide Esu ◽  
Simone Maddanu
Keyword(s):  
Local Population ◽  
Military Spending ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Direct Link ◽  
Master Narrative ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Ideological Dimension ◽  
The Military ◽  
Alternative Modernity

This chapter mainly points out how militarization as a bureaucratic and discursive “apparatus” results in a colonial modernization. Furthermore, the chapter establishes a direct link between military settlements – by various occupations – and a narrative of modernization and modernity. Both military protocols and the scope of the military activities contribute to a form of colonization and dependence, economically as well as culturally. Militarization is a wider concept involving at least two dimensions: the economic and political factors sustaining the expansion of military spending; and the social, cultural, and ideological dimension. However, the master narrative of modernization clashes with rising claims to autonomy in the local population that assert an alternative modernity.

scholarly journals Foreign Languages and Cultural Awareness - A Must in The Education of The 21st Century European Military Leaders

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 349-354
Author(s):  
Marioara Pateşan ◽  
Alina Balagiu ◽  
Dana Zechia
Keyword(s):  
Personal Development ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
The Political ◽  
Common Language ◽  
Military Leaders ◽  
Local Populations ◽  
Special Events ◽  
The Military ◽  
Curriculum Topics

AbstractEurope is characterized by both geographical and cultural diversity. At present, the European countries are under deep transformations due to the migratory trends. These special events need measures not only at the political level but also at the military, social and economic one. By being aware and accepting all these changes, mainly the cultural ones, we have to be open and adapt ourselves to the new context in which we have to be able to accept that our existence with its norms, values, customs and traditions is not unique. The language competences contribute to the mobility, employability and personal development of its citizens, in particular, the young people. As far as the military environment is concerned, we believe that it is of utmost importance not only to speak a common language but also to know the culture of the partners we cooperate with, as well as that of the local populations from various theatres of operations. At the level of our institutions, we tried to integrate into the curriculum topics that help our students, future military leaders, to be ready to efficiently answer to the new changes that they will face in a new military environment. In our paper, we will highlight the ways we can promote the development of our learners’ linguistic and cultural competencies.

scholarly journals ‘DISTURBING POTENTIAL’: MILITARY OPERATIONS IN SOCIAL MEDIA DOMAIN

Politeja ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 14 (5 (50)) ◽  
pp. 167-191
Author(s):  
Marcin SZYMAŃSKI
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Initial Section ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Disturbing Potential ◽  
Social Sphere ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Basic Characteristics ◽  
The Military

‘DISTURBING POTENTIAL’: MILITARY OPERATIONS IN SOCIAL MEDIA DOMAIN The author of the article pursues several vignettes drafted in the course of the military and academic discussions, related to the social media. Initial section of the publication is dedicated to the social sphere of the human nature. The reasons and motives inspiring people to create networks are investigated. The subsequent part provides a description of currently available social media platforms. The tools, their utility and basic characteristics are examined. Such summary is used as a framework to build few conclusions on the potential risks and opportunities, offered by virtual networks for the security community. Findings are consequently confronted with existing doctrines. Some structural assumptions are drafted within this section, in order to provide a conceptual point of reference for further research. The author than continues with selected case studies of the social media military application. The article is concluded by a few reflections encapsulating the role of non-kinetic, social media embedded warfare in the contemporary conflicts.

Using humanitarian aid to ‘win hearts and minds’: a costly failure?

2011 ◽  
Vol 93 (884) ◽  
pp. 1035-1061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie A. Williamson
Keyword(s):  
Humanitarian Aid ◽  
The United States ◽  
Humanitarian Assistance ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Costly Failure ◽  
The Military ◽  
Hearts And Minds

AbstractThis article contends that the integration of humanitarian assistance in efforts to ‘win hearts and minds’ in counter-insurgencies has not been successful, and that the costs, both operational and legal, clearly outweigh any benefits. It demonstrates how such manipulation of humanitarian assistance runs counter to fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. In addition, a growing body of research suggests that the use of short-term aid and relief programmes as part of counter-insurgency has been ineffectual, and that, in places such as Afghanistan, it may even have undermined the overall military goal of defeating insurgents. With the United States and NATO military operations winding down in Afghanistan, it is time for the military and policy-makers reviewing ‘winning hearts and minds’ as a counter-insurgency strategy to draw the lessons and recognize the importance of a neutral and independent space for humanitarian aid.

Integrating the Components

2019 ◽  
pp. 254-268
Author(s):  
Jon Middaugh
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Response ◽  
National Guard ◽  
Social Connection ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Ability To Work ◽  
Volunteer Organization ◽  
Main Street ◽  
The Social ◽  
Regular Army ◽  
The Military

This chapter assesses the Army National Guard's ability to work alongside the Regular Army to provide strategic landpower capability, capacity, and flexibility. It argues that closely integrating the components can produce a Total Army with more diverse skills for fighting across the range of military operations overseas.For the homeland, a strong National Guard can quickly deliver security and emergency response capabilities for natural or manmade disasters. Integrating the components also makes the overall Army more affordable and provides the all-volunteer organization with the flexibility needed to appeal to today's more fluid society. Finally, more closely integrating the Army's components can help strengthen the social connection between the military and "Main Street" America.

scholarly journals Radical Islamists in the publications of the central press during the Dagestan campaign of 1999

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-255
Author(s):  
Denis V. Tumakov
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Law Enforcement Officers ◽  
War Crimes ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Military Leaders ◽  
The Caucasus ◽  
Law Enforcement Officials ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Military

The article examines the image of radical Islamists, which was created in the publications of the largest domestic periodicals during the military operations in Dagestan in August–September 1999. The author analyses front-line reports and interviews with high-ranking military leaders published in such central newspapers and magazines as Nezavisimaya gazeta, Trud, Izvestiya, Kommersant, Echo planety, Novoe vremya and some others. Among the sources, there are both serious analytical broadsheets and tabloids. The author also pays attention to the regional press, for example, the Yaroslavl periodicals Karavan-Ros and Yaroslavskie novosti. These publications delivered valuable information on the ideology of the enemy, their weapons and equipment, and the war crimes they committed, and also reflected the attitude to the militants of the Russian soldiers and policemen who opposed them. The detachments of militants who opposed the federal forces and the Dagestani law enforcement officers appeared in these reports as cruel religious fanatics, intolerant of the bearers of any other ideology, ready to impose it on other people by force. At the same time, following military and law enforcement officials, Russian journalists were forced to recognize high combat qualities of the enemy, their perseverance and steadfastness in battle. Most of the pieces mentioned the fact that the rebels possessed a large number of modern weapons, both domestic and foreign-made, and also said that they had developed professionally competent in-depth defense. The author draws a conclusion about the antipathy of Russian reporters to the rebel combat units and identifies the reasons for the change in the attitude of the media towards them in comparison with the First Chechen War of 1994–96. In those years, journalists condemned military actions of the federal forces in the Caucasus, but in 1999 they supported the operation in Dagestan and considered Islamic radicals as ordinary bandits.

Ivan Matyukhin and his detachment in the Tambov rebellion

2020 ◽  
pp. 227-233
Author(s):  
Vladimir I. Podlesnov
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Russian State ◽  
The Social ◽  
Archival Documents ◽  
History Of ◽  
Local Residents ◽  
State Archives ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Military

The relevance of the work is due to the need for a scientific understanding of the phenomenon of peasant rebellion against Soviet power, and the largest of them, the Tambov rebellion, in the year of its centenary, to study motivation as its leaders, one of whom was I.S. Matyukhin and ordinary participants. The purpose of the study is to analyze the personality of Ivan Matyukhin and the soldiers of his detachment, as well as the main military operations in which they participated. When working on the study, such research methods were used as the study of archival data and memoirs, their analysis. The research was based on the data of the State Archives of the Tambov Region, the State Archive of the Social and Political History of the Tambov Region, the Russian State Military Archive, the memoirs of the participants in the events under study, as well as published scientific works. The scientific significance of the study lies in the systematization of in-formation about Ivan Matyukhin’s detachment, the analysis of known archival documents and the introduction of new ones into scientific circulation. In the course of the study, the military operations of the Insurrectionary Army, in which the I.S. Matyukhin regiment took part, are analyzed, and the key role of his unit in especially significant operations was revealed. A social portrait of a member of his detachment is compiled – most often these are peasants, both wealthy and those related to the poor, for the most part who had experience in military operations. We prove the high level of support of the Matyukhin unit among local residents, skillfully organized intelligence and staff work.

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