Mumford, Andrew, 1983- (2009) From Belfast to Basra: Britain and the 'tri-partite counter-insurgency model'. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

PDF WRAP_THESIS_MumfordA_2009.pdf - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader Download (1778Kb)

Abstract

Counter-insurgency assumed a status during the twentieth century as one of the British military‟s fortes. A wealth of asymmetric warfare experience was accumulated after World War Two, as the small wars of decolonisation offered the army of a fading imperial power the opportunity to regularly deploy against an irregular enemy. Yet this quantity of experience has been misguidedly conflated with quality. This thesis holds that the British, far from being the counter-insurgent exemplars that history has benevolently cast them, have in fact consistently proven to be slow learners and slow strategic burners in the realm of counter-insurgency warfare. The case study-based nature of this thesis, utilising the chronologically and geographically dispersed examples of Malaya (1948-60), Kenya (1952-60), South Yemen (1962-67), the first decade of the Northern Irish „Troubles‟ (1969-79), culminates with an analysis of the recent British counter-insurgency campaign in southern Iraq (2003-09). This thesis will blend historical narrative with critical analysis in order to establish a new paradigm through which to interpret and analyse British inertia in counter-insurgency and help unpack the mythology of inherent British competence in the realm of irregular warfare. Three major dimensions emerge. These elements constitute a „Tri-Partite Counter-Insurgency Model‟, and were carefully selected as comprising the major causal and impacting factors contributing to success or failure in counter-insurgency, and were settled upon after an exhaustive review of primary and secondary literature relating to counter-insurgency, both historical and doctrinal. The Tri-Partite Model is constructed by three interactive and interdependent factors: the counter-insurgent, the insurgent, and the international political context.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	J Political Science > JX International law U Military Science > U Military Science (General)
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Counterinsurgency -- Great Britain, Strategy -- Research, Military art and science -- Great Britain, Iraq War, 2003-, Malaya -- History -- Malayan Emergency, 1948-1960, Kenya -- History -- Mau Mau Emergency, 1952-1960, Yemen (Republic) -- History -- 1962-1972, Northern Ireland -- History -- 1969-1994, Great Britain -- History -- Elizabeth II, 1952-
Date:	August 2009
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of Politics and International Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Kennedy-Pipe, Caroline, 1961- ; Aldrich, Richard J. (Richard James), 1961-
Sponsors:	Economic and Social Research Council (Great Britain) (ESRC) (PTA-031-2006-00304)
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	396 leaves : ill.
Language:	eng
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/2779

Request changes to a record

Actions (login required)

View Item