Western Way of War Is the Era of Manoeuvre Warfare Dead?
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Dec 24, 2020 
Tony King, a Professor of War Studies at Warwick University with expertise in small unit cohesion, discusses the potential end of the era of manoeuvre warfare. He argues that recent conflicts suggest a shift towards positional warfare characterized by indecisive campaigns. King emphasizes the need to adapt military strategies for urban combat and critiques the historical foundations of current military doctrines. He also highlights the urgent necessity for improved training infrastructures for modern warfare scenarios.
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Western Way of War Defined
- The Western way of war is essentially a US-led system defined by high professionalism and an all-volunteer force model.
- This shift from mass citizen armies to elite experts transformed doctrine, training, and ethics in Western military operations.
1980s Air-Land Battle Revolution
- The 1980s US air-land battle doctrine revolutionized NATO's defense by enabling deep rapid maneuver against larger forces.
- This shift improved NATO's chances but didn't guarantee victory over the Soviet Union, emphasizing the power of professionalism and maneuver.
Maneuver Warfare vs Urban Combat
- Maneuver warfare dominated Western thinking for decades but urbanized war against skilled foes demands positional, siege-like warfare.
- Western forces face a fundamental doctrinal challenge to adapt professionalism for slow, attritional urban combat environments.
