King's College London

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Tyranny of Doctrine and Modern Strategy

T2 - Small (and Large) States in a Double Bind

AU - Honig, Jan

PY - 2016/2/23

Y1 - 2016/2/23

N2 - The formation of doctrine and strategy is usually regarded as the exclusive province of the major powers. Small states and their militaries have little choice but to conform. This article, however, argues that small, developed states possess an unprecedented opportunity independently to form doctrine and pursue strategy. The reasons are a worldwide trend of devolution in political power and a concomitant democratisation of violence and reduction in the scale of military means and conflict. However, seizing this opportunity is powerfully constrained by the tyranny of outmoded ideas of how war and strategy work.

AB - The formation of doctrine and strategy is usually regarded as the exclusive province of the major powers. Small states and their militaries have little choice but to conform. This article, however, argues that small, developed states possess an unprecedented opportunity independently to form doctrine and pursue strategy. The reasons are a worldwide trend of devolution in political power and a concomitant democratisation of violence and reduction in the scale of military means and conflict. However, seizing this opportunity is powerfully constrained by the tyranny of outmoded ideas of how war and strategy work.

KW - Military Doctrine

KW - New Wars

KW - Small States

KW - Strategy

KW - War and Politics

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84961200840&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/01402390.2015.1115036

DO - 10.1080/01402390.2015.1115036

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84961200840

VL - 39

SP - 261

EP - 279

JO - The Journal of Strategic Studies

JF - The Journal of Strategic Studies

SN - 0140-2390

IS - 2

ER -