Whose strategy is it anyway?

Test your knowledge:
Below is a paraphrased strategic-operational debate and plan from a historical insurgency do you know which one?

In this counter-insurgency 3 approaches were put forward/advocated by the Government Forces:
ANS: IN 1776 THE BRITISH FORCES UNDER ADM HOWE AND HIS BROTHER GEN HOWE PROPOSED THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES

1) The deliberate use of extreme violence and terror by the Government/Foriegn Government forces and Allies to break the adversary/insurgents will to resist. SHREKLICHEIT, PUT FORWARD BY LORD GEORGE GERMAIN, GEN JOHN BURGOTNE, ADM SAMUEL GRAVES AND MAJ JOHN PITCAIRN. tHIS WAS A STANDARD PRACTICE IN EUROPE, SCOTLAND AND IRELAND. NOTE IT WAS PUT IN EFFECT WITH TEH BURNING OF FALMOUTH MAINE. RESULTING IN AN EXPLOSION OF AMERICAN ANGER FUELING THE REBELLION.

2) The deliberate seizure of small strategic areas, mostly coastal, and expanding them until the insurgency ends. A very slow progression requireing large numbers of occupation forces. THE INK-BLOT OR SPREADING INK STAIN, OIL SPOT, ETC. UNFORTUNATELY (FOR THE BRITS) 95% OF THE AMERICAN POP LIVED OUTSIDE CITIES AND COULD NOT BE CONTROLED IN THIS MANNER. FURTHER IT WAS TOO SLOW AND REQUIRED MORE TROOPS THAN THEY HAD AVAILABLE OR COULD BE SUPPLIED.

3) The deliberate seizure and holding of strategic communications and transportation corridors in order to segment and seperate various contested zones or provinces, seperating the hot zones from cold or less dangerous. Then defeating the insurgency in detail in the now isolated regions.
-addendum to #3: gain the support of indigenous forces, utilize locals to subdue the insurgents vice utilizing foriegn or government troops. Allow Govt forces to act in support roles.
---a) Protect the indigenosu supporters and offer amnesty programs
---b) Seize and secure one province at a time, progressively
---c) The war viewed as a contest for the Peoples Opinion
---d) Put forth Political, Governmental and Economic Reforms
THIS WAS THE PREFERED PLAN OF THE HOWE BROTHERS, AND GEN JAMES ROBERTSON WHO STATED " I NEVER HAD AN IDEA OF SUBDUING THE AMERICANS. I MEANT TO ASSIST THE GOOD AMERICANS TO SUBDUE THE BAD." GEN HOWE PROPOSED IN EARLY 1776 THAT HE BE GREATLY REINFORCED, SHOULD SEIZE & HOLD NYC AS THE BASE OF OPERATIONS THEN HAVE SMALLER FORCES SEIZE THE HUDSON VALLEY. AFTER NY AND THE HUDSON THEY WOULD SPREAD N-S AND SEIZE RHODE ISLAND AND NJ, GAINING CONTROL OF 3 COLONIES. EFFECTIVELY SPLITTING THE HOTBED OF REBELLION NEW ENGLAND FROM THE LESS VOLATILE MIDDLE AND SOUTH.

FURTHER here is a paraphrased version of the insurgents Strat-Op Planning debate:
THE AMERICAN PLANS UTILIZED ALL OF THE FOLLOWING TECHNIQUES.
1) Survive
2) Gain foriegn support
3) Engage in economic warfare, striking the enemy in the purse
4) Avoid battle and wear down the Govt forces through attrition in guerilla skirmishing
5) When possible build strongpoints and force the Govt forces to conduct costly (in both troops, treasure and prestige) assaults.
6) Attack wherever an opportunity presented itself while offering no opening to the enemy.
7) Organize public opinion: focus on prisoner abuse, and develop a concept that battlefield victory isn't as important as the victory of the cause in the end.

FOR A MORE DETAILED READING CHECK OUT DAVID HACKETT FISCHER'S WASHINGTON'S CROSSING : PULITIZER PRIZE WINNER FOR HISTORY.

Ours as in the US, in particular the Swamp Fox Francis Marion, and special note me and Bubba are big fans of economic warfare, like dealing drug dealers, whoop their ass and take their cash and houses and cars and cats and dogs and eat their chickens and drink their beer.

Hmmm ... that's pretty general. Could be more specific as to the actual tactics used as opposed to general strategic theories put forward?

This could be a somewhat PC-ized version of either the European settlement of North America or the Spanish settlement of South and Central America.

It could also be the Boer War. Or just about any colonial adventure.

I'm going to go with the Boxer issue, and the allies at that time were the loose coalition of the japanese, British, Germans and Russians(?)

When I read Fischer's book Washington's Crossing I was struck by the similiar if not near "prequel" or "presaged" strategies put forward by both sides in the Revolutionary War to today's COIN strategies. I put out this question to see if kept in general strat-op terms what others in SWC thought. Some key points of interest, the war was long (8 years) 1775-1783. It was a near-run thing, becoming truly effective (for the US) only after the Brits became involved in a worldwide war that drained their resources, preventing them from focusing on America.

-Thanks Troufion

Troufion - Nice example. I'd argue, however, that you skipped on the colonials' insistence on forming a regular army fighting in conventional formations instead of using purely insurgent tactics, which made things a bit different from your normal insurgency even of the time. Other than that, I too was struck by the commonality of theme when reading the same book.

I thought if I mentioned the Continental Army and the desire to build it up to match the Brit-Hessian Regulars I might have given away the punchline:) .

But point taken. Washington wanted to (and eventually did) build an army to fight toe-to-toe with the Brits. Conversely the strategy Brit Gen Henry Clinton wanted was to face, pursue and destroy said army.

A modern version could be seen in Maoist Insurgency strategy.

TROUFION, That's right and we whipped their ass again during the war of 1812 why are we listening to them? This song was supposedly banned in the UK but it was the no.1 in 1959.
So now for your listening pleasure and cultural enhancement. Johnny Horton and the Battle of New Orleans.:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSTKE...elated&search=

jucustis, I noticed you mentioned the Boxer Rebellion. I don't know a lot bout the rebellion over all, however I have always thought that Shanghai is the best model to follow as far as Baghdad. The similarities are remarkable. They had foreign insurgents,drug lords, criminal gangs (Tongs and Triads). They had daily bombings,kidnappings,assassinations,bank robberies etc. The good news was law and order was established by a small but very advanced police force,and a few Marines form several countries. The bad news is it was all to no good when Japan invaded. Their TTP's were recalled during the COIN ops in Cyprus and also Singapore. I am still working on Melson;)