Guerilla Warfare the Efficacy of Thesis

He also contends that guerilla warfare is not a tactic that is practiced without discipline or structure. The structure and adherence to rules or laws, as Guevara, suggests, are elements that directly contribute to the efficacy of guerilla warfare as used by terrorist organizations and small countries.

It is often said that guerrilla warfare is primitive. This generalization is dangerously misleading…it can be conducted in any terrain, in any climate, in any weather…Its basic element is man, and man is more complex than any of his machines. (U.S. Navy & Marine Corps, 1989, 13)

This quote comes from the headquarters of the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps, two extremely talented branches of the United States military, which is arguably one of the finest militaries in the world. If leaders from these branches of the military have this to say about guerilla warfare as it is used by terrorists organizations and organized civilians in small and/or third world countries, then there must be truth and strength in that guerilla warfare is, indeed a successful tactic. The Navy and Marine Corps went through the time and effort necessary to research and report upon guerilla warfare.It must be a strategy that is worth their attention and a strategy that necessitates study and counter-strategy. If powerful branches of a military that is one of the strongest and surely most financed in the world must take time to educate their ranks about guerilla warfare, then guerilla warfare must have some use and must be able to due some real damage.

Guerilla warfare requires ingenuity and creativity. There is an adage that states that "necessity is the mother of invention." This statement holds true for guerilla warfare in terrorist organizations and small countries. Because these groups are often secretive, they cannot seek funding publically or because it does not exist due to overall lack of resources (as in the third world). Guerillas perform military style operations with precision and discipline, though they might lack the sophistication and equipment of a general military or army. Regardless of finances, guerilla warfare proves successful and effective for terrorists and citizens alike.

References:

Guevara, Ernesto "Che." Guerilla Warfare. 1961.

Irish Republican Army. Green Book, Volumes 1 & 2.

United State Navy, United States Marine Corps. Mao Tse-Tung on Guerilla Warfare. Washington, D.C.,….....