Les guerres irrégulières : de la guérilla au terrorisme | Géopoliticus | Lumni

More episodes of Géopoliticus 👉 https://cutt.ly/gAoLAF9 When we talk about war, we think of two states fighting with their armies on a battlefield. But this "traditional" model doesn't always apply to contemporary conflicts. Take a look at the different forms of warfare with Géopoliticus 👇! What is irregular warfare? During the 18th century, authors such as military theorist Carl von Clausewitz defined warfare, its rules, and its customs. However, some armed groups or small, weakened states lack the resources to wage such wars. They therefore have no interest in respecting these rules. As a result, they circumvent them by resorting to other methods: ambushes, diversions, traps, and sometimes, attacks. These are referred to as irregular wars, guerrilla warfare, or more recently, asymmetric conflicts, where strong armies oppose groups that lack the same resources. This method of waging war is theorized by military leaders around the world. Examples include: • China's Mao Zedong in his war against the Kuomintang nationalists in the 1930s; • Britain's Thomas Edward Lawrence, known as "Lawrence of Arabia," who joined the Arab nationalists against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War; • Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution from 1953 to 1959; • Let's also take the example of the French army, which faced these irregular wars during the Algerian War. Algerian separatists, who demand an end to colonization, take refuge in the Atlas and Aurès Mountains, as well as in Morocco and Tunisia, where the French army cannot access. Some groups blend into the populations of cities like Algiers, Sétif, and Constantine. Without uniforms, they are difficult to detect, and reprisals regularly target suspects and civilians alike. Why do irregular wars last so long? It is very difficult to end an irregular war: a small number of combatants can continue fighting for a very long time. Their methods? Concealment, mobility, and the avoidance of head-on clashes. Examples include: • Colombia, where several communist armed groups, including the FARC, have been fighting the government since the 1950s. These groups hide in the jungles and mountains of the south and east of the country, where the government army struggles to dislodge them. • Burma (Myanmar), where nationalist armed groups, such as those of the Karen ethnic groups in the south and the Kachin ethnic groups in the north, have been fighting against the Burmese military dictatorship for over sixty years. Terrorism: Jihadist Movements Following Al-Qaeda's attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, a new series of irregular wars pitted several North American and European countries against a multitude of jihadist movements around the world. Westerners label these armed groups terrorists. Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, the most prominent, do not only set ambushes or traps for the military they are fighting. They also, and often primarily, target civilian populations. The goal is no longer to find ways to circumvent the opposing military force through original tactics. It is to impose one's will through terrorizing the populations themselves. Extremely complex conflicts that no modern army has managed to win. 👉 Discover all the videos in the Geopoliticus series.