This study presents the first examination of the influence of ideas of honour on the causes, conduct and ending of wars from Ancient Greece to the present day.

Paul Robinson begins with a theoretical examination of the concept of honour, to clearly explain the many contradictions and tensions inherent within honour systems. He then shows how honour has often contradictory and paradoxical effects on the conduct of war and illustrates this through seven case studies: Classical Greece; Ancient Rome; mediaeval Chivalry; Elizabethan England; the American Civil War; the British...

This volume explores ethnicity and gender developments in relation to the military.

In some countries, the armed forces have a long history in responding to ethnic diversity, while elsewhere it has come up only recently as a policy issue. An even-handed representation of ethnic minorities in the military is recognized as crucial for enhancing its social legitimacy and professional quality. The same can be said about the integration of women in the military, which during a few decades across the board has grown into more than just another issue of personnel policies. Indeed...

Although each state is inarguably unique it is possible to identify certain common problems and issues with respect to defense governance and management. This text introduces the reader to the basic principles of governance and management through the identification of these key commonalities.
It also shows that if individuals are keen to reform practices within their defense establishment they also need to be aware of the various constraints and obstacles that may challenge them. Each written by an acknowledged expert in their field, the contributions identify examples of good practice...

This is the first academic analysis of the role of embedded media in the 2003 Iraq War, providing a concise history of US military public affairs management since Vietnam.

In late summer 2002, the Pentagon considered giving the press an inside view of the upcoming invasion of Iraq. The decision was surprising, and the innovative "embedded media program" itself received intense coverage in the media. Its critics argued that the program was simply a new and sophisticated form of propaganda. Their implicit assumption was that the Pentagon had become better at its news management and...

A much-needed survey and synopsis of literature on strategic culture and ways of war.

It clearly shows how national strategies and approaches to warfare are, to a significant extent, culturally determined. The concept of national 'ways of war' dates from the 1930s, when Basil H. Liddell Hart theorized that there was a 'British Way in Warfare'.

The concept of "strategic culture" dates from the 1970s, when Jack Snyder introduced it to explain why leaders of the Soviet Union did not behave according to rational choice theory. These ideas have gained wide acceptance among...

Although the United States has never faced the danger of a military coup, the relations between civilian leaders and the military have not always been easy. Presidents have contended with military leaders who were reluctant to carry out their orders. Generals and Admirals have appealed to Congress for sympathy and support. Congressional leaders have tried to impose their own visions and strategies on the U.S. armed forces. This triangular struggle has recurred time and again, in wartime and in efforts to reshape the military for future wars.
This book argues that the U.S. military is in a...

With historical case studies ranging from the Revolutionary War to the war in Iraq, this new book shows how and why the US military is caught between two civilian masters - the President and Congress - in responding to the challenges of warfighting, rearmament, and transformation.

Charles Stevenson skilfully shows how, although the United States has never faced the danger of a military coup, the relations between civilian leaders and the military have not always been easy. Presidents have contended with military leaders who were reluctant to carry out their orders. Generals and...

Following Israel's War of Independence in 1948 and 1949, the anticipated peace did not materialize and the new nation soon found itself embroiled in protracted military conflict with neighbouring Arab states. Demobilization of its armed forces led to the formation of special elite unit under the command of Ariel Sharon to cope with cross-border infiltration, pillage and murder. A policy of deterrence was governed by the tactic of retaliation, which contained the seeds of escalation. At the same time, a military dynamic unfolded in which the logic of field unit response dictated both military...

Khedive Ismail's Army examines military failure in the age of imperialism.

On paper, the mid-nineteenth century Egyptian army seems a formidable regional power. It had a tradition of success, modern weapons, and mercenary officers with experience in major wars. Egypt's ruler, Khedive Ismail, hoped to combine the imported technology and brains with native manpower, and establish an Egyptian dominated Horn of Africa. His soldiers did conquer parts of the Sudan, but they suffered disastrous defeats during the Egyptian Abyssinian War of 1875 to 1876.
Presenting the first...

Military Industry and Regional Defense Policy re-examines military industrialization in the developing world, focusing on policy-making in producer states and the impact of security perceptions on such policy-making.

Timothy D. Hoyt reassesses the role of regional state sub-systems in international relations, and recent historical studies of international technology and arms transfers. Looking at Israel, Iraq and India, the three most powerful regional powers in the Cold War era, he presesnts an expert analysis of the three-sided phenomena of the regional hegemony, the...