The History and Future of Warfare Selections of the Professional Readings in Military Strategy Published by the Strategic Studies Institute of the U.S. Army War College Legal standards are an important part of military strategic decision making, both as to whether or not to take military action and how military action should be conducted once the decision is made. Insight into the practical and economic application of these standards is at the core of this thought-provoking book. Edited with extensive legal commentary and analysis by two prominent US military lawyers with global experience, The History and Future of Warfare presents a revealing survey of the most significant findings, over a 30-year period, of outstanding military advisers and scholars on the use, control, and conduct of military forces in hostilities. Drawing on the work of the Strategic Studies Institute of the US Army War College--work which has deeply influenced military thinking and doctrine not only in the US but worldwide--this book distills the considered judgment of a generation of commentators on the operational controls that have evolved since the 1960s and been tested and refined in conflicts from Vietnam to Kosova. Collecting 31 essays in ten chapters (with introductory comments to each chapter), the book addresses such specific issues and practical problems as the role of NATO and its enlargement; justifications of the recourse to war, especially the `Weinberger Doctrine'; setting legal controls on new weapons and new military technologies; and the doctrine of peacekeeping and its strategic promise. There are also essays dealing with particular geographical and regional military issues that arise in Russia, China, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, as well as studies of the changing role of the United Nations and the US in the New World Order. The History and Future of Warfare allows international lawyers, defense policymakers and other interested parties to consider in depth serious problems involving the use of military force. Through its clear thinking about legal standards, both existing (such as the Geneva Protocols of December 1977) and proposed, it helps these professionals to resolve issues of improper or unlawful conduct in regard to the use of military force.

The second edition of this well received handbook provides a comprehensive overview and annotated commentary of those areas of international law most relevant to the planning and conduct of military operations. It covers a wide scope of military operations, ranging from operations conducted under UN Security Council mandate to (collective) self-defence and consensual and humanitarian operations and identifies the relevant legal bases and applicable legal regimes governing the application of force and treatment of persons during such operations. It also devotes attention to the law governing the status of forces, military use of the sea and airspace and questions of international (criminal) responsibility for breaches of international law. New developments such as cyber warfare and controversial aspects of law in relation to contemporary operations, such as targeted killing of specific individuals are discussed and analysed, alongside recent developments in more traditional types of operations, such as peacekeeping and naval operations. The book is aimed at policy officials, commanders and their (military) legal advisors who are involved with the planning and conduct of any type of military operation and is intended to complement national and international policy and legal guidelines and assist in identifying and applying the law to ensure legitimacy and contribute to mission accomplishment. It likewise fulfils a need in pertinent international organizations, such as the UN, NATO, Regional Organizations, and NGOs. It also serves as a comprehensive work of reference to academics and is suitable for courses at military staff colleges, academies and universities, which devote attention to one or more aspects of international law treated in the book. This mix of intended users is reflected in the contributors who include senior (former) policy officials and (military) legal advisors, alongside academics engaged in teaching and research in these areas of international law.

This handbook provides a single comprehensive guide to the many areas of international law which are relevant to the planning and conduct of contemporary military operations. It also serves as an educational tool and academic reference for those in the classroom to the war zone.

Advances in the field of information and communication technologies have substantially affected most segments of our life, leading to the Information Age or Information Revolution. On both individual and state scale, 'information' has become a vital 'commodity' by which one measures levels of knowledge, skills, well-being, prosperity and development. This academic work traces the evolution of the Information Age and the emerging trends of diplomacy and politics in today's world. It signals potential opportunities and threats, while strategically forecasting current and future implications. Including three major chapters, the work is divided into eleven significant themes. It reviews the emergence of knowledge-based societies and highlights their main features. The course of globalization, the worldwide Internet development, the consequences of restricting the flow of information, and the Revolution in Military Affairs are among the issues examined. Also thoroughly treated is the evolution of diplomacy, with reference to information and intelligence gathering, analysis, and policy-making. The publication outlines the qualifications of diplomats and executives required at the present and coming stages of professionalism. In addition to examining contemporary traditional and non-traditional conflicts around the globe, it takes a look at U.S. hegemony policies in world affairs. Certain cultural and social issues directly linked to the Information Age are dealt with as well. They refer to the growing importance of culture and identity awareness in an era of increasing social interdependence, and to the global evolution of languages and their use in everyday life and in current affairs. The book concludes with a set of observations in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the United States. The observations point to particular notions and developments that influence our way of living, politics and diplomacy. Furthermore, specific analysis is made to the U.S. invasion in Iraq in March 2003 and to its consequences.