The podcast explores stay behind operations in resistance warfare and their utility in imposing costs on occupying powers. It discusses the factors influencing resistance strategy, building resilience in supply lines, and the relevance of civilian-based resistance. The hosts express gratitude and provide updates on future episodes.
Stay behind operations can introduce chaos, friction, and inflict costs on the enemy, buying time and stretching their resources.
Combining external support with localized and indigenous resistance is crucial for the effectiveness of stay behind operations.
Deep dives
The Utility of Stay Behind Forces and Operations
Stay behind forces can prepare the ground for reinforcement and carry out actions that change the enemy's strategic thinking. They aim to introduce chaos, friction, and inflict costs on the enemy. Stay behind forces buy time, stretch the enemy's resources, and aim to degrade capabilities. They provide something for external supporters to plug into and maintain morale for resistance and external support.
Different Types of Stay Behind Organizations
There are two main types of stay behind organizations: external supporters and indigenous clandestine networks. External supporters include specialized military units like commandos, whereas indigenous networks are run by intelligence organizations. Combining these two types creates a layered approach to resistance, and the key is to marry up localized and indigenous resistance with external support.
Occupation Environments and Stay Behind Forces
Different types of occupiers and occupation environments impact the effectiveness of stay behind operations. By understanding the occupier's approach to governing and controlling occupied space, the vulnerabilities can be identified and stay behind forces can target those weaknesses. Stay behind operations are not a separate proposition, but rather part of a layered approach to resist invasion or raise the cost of occupation.
Considerations for Policymakers and Practitioners
Policymakers, academics, and practitioners interested in resistance and stay behind operations should consider the following: the evolving impact of technology on resistance, the importance of preparing for occupation scenarios, the need for interagency cooperation, the potential controversial nature of investing in stay behind forces, the balance between providing specialized skills while mitigating potential risks, and the value of pre-building stay behind forces to thicken the layer of defense.
Episode 98 of the Irregular Warfare Podcast delves into resistance warfare—with a specific focus on stay behind operations.
Our guests begin by contrasting conventional conflict with resistance warfare. They then discuss the utility of stay behind operations by examining how small states can impose outsized costs on occupying powers. More specifically, they address how distributed resistance elements can frustrate aggressive powers by operating behind enemy lines. Finally, they end by providing policymakers with a framework for crafting indigenous, stay behind forces in the digital age.
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