Military History and the Theory of Combat

This book argues that the central factors determining whether humanitarian war succeeds are the objectives of the intervention and the military strategy employed by the intervening states. Military wars without a reasonable prospect of success are unjustifiable, especially when it is done in the name of humanity. Couched in the debate on the responsibility to protect civilians from violence and drawing on traditional ‘just war’ principals, the central premise of the present book is that humanitarian military intervention can be justified as a policy option only if decision makers can be reasonably sure that intervention will do more good than harm. It also offers insightful concepts of approaches to war. This book brings the volume up to date, including discussions of the military’s history and theory of combat.