Rma_Mr

The Military Revolution versus the Revolution in the Military Affairs There are questions about when military revolutions took place, what it got involved and if it brought any changes in the development of the revolution in military affairs. Many military operations are now possible across any theater of operations under some circumstances. Those due to the past experiences that historians call “Military Revolution” and those that involve changes, that in order to be able to conduct military future operations with the desire for globalization, the military refer to it as “The Revolution in Military Affairs”. Military revolutions are part of our history and there is some relationship and linkage as part of our culture today. In according to MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray, on the book “The dynamic of Military Revolution”, it is discussed that the concept of military revolution emerged in 1955 ¹. However, I see that there are military historians like Geoffrey Parker, Michael Roberts and Carlo M. Cipolla (just to mention some), with the argument about if everything started in early 1550 to 1650, or if the military revolution took part on years between 1650 to the latest 1800’s. All we know, is that in the earliest of the fifteenth century most of the military conflicts and wars were fought using basically the same weapons and using the same type of operations, techniques and movement learned from others during the past battles and it was not until the beginning of the sixteenth century that changes started to happen with new tactics and new weapons. As history is written, I can mention some of the wars that happened during the point in time from 1550 to 1800 like: the French Wars of Religion in 1562 to 1598, the Thirty Year’s War in 1618 to 1648, the French War of 1792 to 1815, the alliance of 1813 between Britain-Austria-Russia and Prussia, and many others. ________________________ ¹ MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray, The Dynamic of Military Revolution 1300-2050, published 2001, page 1. Another way to see the military revolutions is how Alvin and Heidi Toffler described it based on the relationship between the socio-economic and the military structure as he wrote on the quote: “A military revolution, in the fullest sense, occurs only when a new civilization arises to challenge the old, when an entire society transforms itself, forcing its armed services to change at every level simultaneously–from technology and culture to organization, strategy, tactics, training, doctrine, and logistics. When this happens, the relationship of the military to the economy and society is transformed and the military balance of power on earth is shattered.” ² Murray and Knox mentioned in their book ³ that military revolutions brought systemic changes in politics and society on the Western history as follows: in the seventeenth century of the modern nation-state, was the time of the discipline military power; in the late eighteenth century during the French revolution was the time for mass politics and warfare; in the late eighteenth century and after was the time for arms, clothing, payment for the Soldiers and masses battles; in the First World War had industrial revolutions and set the pattern for the twentieth century war; and last during the Cold War that created the beginning of nuclear weapons. 4 I see that military revolution indeed as a moment in time that changes had to occur in order to reach or be able to succeed the military objective. Those that never exercised any changes or were not able to transform on their equipment (liked the use of canon and muskets) and other areas as I discussed above, could not reach their end state. ________________________ ² Alvin and Heidi Toffler, War and Anti War: Survival at the Dawn of the 21st Century, Boston: Little, Brown, published 1993, page 32. ³ MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray, The Dynamic of Military Revolution 1300-2050, published 2001. 4 Ibid, page 6. 2 The revolutionary of those changes during the fifteenth century to the early eighteenth century through the military revolutions brought a new era with a lot of evolution in equipment, tactics, techniques and inclusive of technology that has helped Soldiers in military operations during the revolution of military affairs (RMA). The purpose of the RMA is to find new ways of destroying the enemy with more fire power and technology that will take the Soldiers to defeat the enemy in less time with less risk. Murray and Knox mentioned in their book that this revolution emerged in late 1917, where I differ from them with that point in time 5. For example, the modern Army began around the 1800 century and along with the modern Army came submarines and torpedo weapons in the earliest 1800 to 1850; another example is the telegraph and the rifles that were invented and used in 1860; and what about the tanks and aircraft carriers build in the earliest of 1920. Saying that, I think that the RMA began with the modern Army back in the 1800 century and not in the late 1917 liked the authors of “The Dynamic of Military Revolution 1300-2050” mentioned in the book. I will address that RMA can be divided in three different stages as technology and transformation was happening from the beginning of the era. First, I would say that we started RMA with the improvement in communications, computers, digitalization, smart weapon systems and the use of joint operations with other branches as we did during the Guadalcanal war between others. Second, may be the time that we started using smarter weapon systems that can see and locate the targets, nonlethality weapons and the use of robots that are able to interact by themselves. Third, I would say that on the last stage in the RMA can be included the evolution of micro chip and micro technology and the use of wireless systems with an incredible range. ________________________ 5 MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray, The Dynamic of Military Revolution 1300-2050, published 2001, page 13. 3 Mentioned those three stages it doesn’t mean that the RMA will stop here, there are still more to come in relation to technology and information within the RMA that we won’t be able to address at this time. I believe that using the correct application of information technology can revolutionize warfare and transform our military into an untouchable force.6 Part of all this RMA is related to the Force Development Branch (FDB), where at this time there is a program under that branch called Future Combat System (FCS) that has the job to develop and review the new technology and equipment that our Armed Forces are using right now at the battlefield. The problem with this program is that it cost too much in the development and review of the technology, which doesn’t like to the federal government due to the economy situation stand today. “It is particularly important to consider the normative dimension of strategy. American leaders must decide not only what the United States can do with a more effective military force, but also what it should do. Only then will the RMA lead to progress rather than simply change”.7 In conclusion, during past centuries, military revolutions provided many changes and transformations that reflect on the way we are living now and on the other hand the RMA makes changes in strategy and reduces battle space to increase effectiveness of each fighting unit. Thus it is more cost effective; our Armed Forces have to continue in working with the revolution in military affairs. ________________________ 6 Jeffrey R. Cooper, “Another View of the Revolution in Military Affairs”, http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR880/MR880.ch5.pdf. 7 Steven Metz and James Kievit, Strategy and the Revolution in Military Affairs: From Theory to Policy, June 27, 1995. 4 Bibliography 1. Alvin and Heidi Toffler, War and Anti War: Survival at the Dawn of the 21st Century, Boston: Little, Brown published 1993. 2. Clifford J. Rogers, The Military Revolutions of the Hundred Year’s War, The Military Revolution, http://www.deremilitari.org/RESOURCES/ARTICLES/rogers.htm. 3. Jeffrey R. Cooper, “Another View of the Revolution in Military Affairs”, http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR880/MR880.ch5.pdf. 4. MacGregor Knox and Williamson Murray, The Dynamic of Military Revolution 1300-2050, published in 2001. 5. Michael Roberts, The Military Revolution 1560-1660 - an inaugural lecture delivered before the Queen's University of Belfast., first published in 1956, http://lccn.loc.gov/61038431. 6. Steven Metz and James Kievit, Strategy and the Revolution in Military Affairs: From Theory to Policy, published in June 27, 1995. 5