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  1. #1
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    Default I don't know of anything ....

    to prove your assumption wrong. Searching "David Galula" (Google Advanced Search; French only) yields only 6000+ hits; but then he was not that popular in France.

    You might try the French sources; if nothing else, we find Un gourou pour Hervé Morin - La doctrine militaire de David Galula, officier français mort en 1968, est enfin reconnue… Grâce aux Américains.:



    Ah, but my friend Lagrange will tell me that this obviously superior example of new weapons technology has been banned by the ICRC.

    Regards

    Mike

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    Default

    But has there been a comprehensive bio of him dans l'anglaise?

  3. #3
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    Default Your last question ...

    from Ridler
    But has there been a comprehensive bio of him dans l'anglaise?
    Your initial assumption and question:

    from Ridler
    ... Am I wrong in assuming there remains no professional biography of his efforts?
    My answer:

    from jmm99
    I don't know of anything .... to prove your assumption wrong.
    Don't know of anything means don't know of anything.

    Regards

    Mike

  4. #4
    Council Member M-A Lagrange's Avatar
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    Default from a french perspective

    http://www.cdef.terre.defense.gouv.f...e_insurect.htm
    http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Galula
    http://www.dissertationsgratuites.co...ula/27267.html
    http://secretdefense.blogs.liberatio...rm%C3%A9e.html

    The book you mention is the only one about Galula up to now.
    You’ll find here some links, I believe you’ve already been consulting on article about Galula (all in French).

    The first one and the last one are the most interesting I believe as they are from the ministry of defense for the first one and the last one from a high quality blog on military affairs.
    In the first one you have the rediscover (or discover) of a French officer work by the French army and the last one reminds that Galula was first kicked out from the French army during WW2.

    Greece being, with Algeria, his first source of inspiration, I would look in that direction. If you're lucky, you might find something.

    Mike: As long as US do not ban Mac Donald, we have the right to defend ourselves...

  5. #5
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    Default Hey Marc,

    bonjour ou bonsoir - wherever in He££ you happen to be "lodging" today.

    As to this:

    from MAL
    Mike: As long as US do not ban Mac Donald, we have the right to defend ourselves...
    ... touché - and you are the awardee of this fine weapons system:





    which did prevail at the 1760 Battle of Sainte-Foy - Monument aux Braves, where d'Aiguebelle's Grenadiers were the tip of the bayonet at Dumont's Windmill.

    -----------------------------------------
    After that shameless promo for Québec tourism, we return to the subject at hand.

    I also found your fourth link, Quand Galula était rayé des cadres de l'Armée ..., by Googling "David Galula" "biographie" "juif" (an example of a Gallic "mind" working ?). That article deals with the dicey problem faced by the young David Galula - that of being a Jew in Vichy France and Vichy Algeria. He survived - “Clausewitz de la contre-insurrection” (par Petraeus et Nagl) - that black period, Une page noire, jamais écrite, de l'histoire de l'armée.Quand vichy internait ses soldats juifs d'algerie.

    An interesting question is to what extent (if any) did Galula's Jewish background influence his practice ? One answer is here, Deux grands stratèges juifs ont théorisé la guerre victorieuse de contre-insurrection.

    Another question, for which I've seen no direct evidence, is whether Galula had close US links during WWII - such as the OSS ?

    Regards

    Mike

  6. #6
    Council Member M-A Lagrange's Avatar
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    Default

    Hello Mike,

    Well, I am actually in Kenya but working on DRC... A little like in the first circle of hell: not too far from the trouble but not in the heart of the fun.

    This said, I also found the following links:
    In French:
    http://pedagogie.ac-montpellier.fr/h...galuladoc2.pdf


    In English:
    http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute...cfm?pubid=1016
    http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art...ula-april-1962


    I tend to personnaly believe that Grece was the turning point of Galula reflection. It's after witnessing the victory of the colonel regime in Grece that he developped his personnal COIN approach. An approach he put in action in Algeria and then got promoted.

    Another question, for which I've seen no direct evidence, is whether Galula had close US links during WWII - such as the OSS ?
    In deed, an interresting point. To be digged.

  7. #7
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    Default Two well-known links - and a question

    Two RAND documents have been cited here at SWC in a number of posts. They are:

    1. Counterinsurgency, A Symposium, April 16–20, 1962:

    This report is based on the Symposium on Counterinsurgency held at RAND’s Washington Office during the week of 16 April 1962. The purpose of the symposium was to bring together those with first-hand experience of guerrilla and counterguerrilla warfare for informal exchanges of information that might lead to fresh insights and a detailed body of expert knowledge. The subjects discussed include patterns and techniques of counterinsurgency, effective organizational and operational approaches, political action, psychological warfare, intelligence and counterintelligence, and requirements for victory. This new release of the report includes a new foreword by Stephen T. Hosmer that elucidates the relevance of this symposium to contemporary guerrilla and counterguerrilla operations.
    (direct to pdf). Rufus Phillips (a participant) refers to this in the SWJ brief cited by M-A. From the participants' bios, Galula was the only Marine (of any country) participating.

    2. Pacification in Algeria, 1956–1958 (1963) (by Galula):

    When Algerian nationalists launched a rebellion against French rule in November 1954, France, mired in similar wars for independence in its colonial territories, was in a poor position to cope with further upheaval. The Algerian strategy encompassed varying approaches and was more adaptable than that of the French, necessitating a rethinking of traditional counterinsurgency methods. In this volume, originally published in 1963, David Galula reconstructs the story of his highly successful command in the district of Greater Kabylia, east of Algiers, at the height of the rebellion, and presents his theories on counterinsurgency and pacification. In the process, he confronts the larger political, psychological, and military aspects of the Algerian war, and provides a context for present-day counterinsurgency operations. This groundbreaking work retains its relevancy as a challenge to traditional counterinsurgency tactics and presents approaches to predicting, managing, and resolving insurgent and guerilla conflict. The parallels between the Algerian war and modern warfare are striking, and lessons can be extracted from French successes and failures in its drive to contain and manage the Algerian uprising. A new foreword by counterterrorism expert Bruce Hoffman elucidates the relevance of this historic study in the context of modern times.
    (direct to pdf). Polarbear1605 likes this book (especially the "oven roast ruse").

    Galula's Introduction begins:

    I left Hong Kong in February 1956 after a five-year assignment as military attaché. I had been away from troop duty for eleven years, having specialized in Chinese affairs since the end of World War II. I was saturated with intelligence work, I had missed the war in Indochina, I felt I had learned enough about insurgencies, and I wanted to test certain theories I had formed on counterinsurgency warfare. For all these reasons I volunteered for duty in Algeria as soon as I reached France. When my four-month leave was over, I was assigned to the 45th B.I.C. (Colonial Infantry Battalion) to which I reported on August 1, 1956. I was to spend two years in Algeria, first as a company commander until April 1, 1958, then as a deputy battalion commander until August 1, 1958.
    A fair inference (from what Galula says) is that the "certain theories" had been shaped (in some measure) by "Chinese affairs" and "the war in Indochina".

    No reference is made to his service in Greece - perhaps the omission says more than a brief mention. Of the three situations (China, Vietnam and Greece), Greece was more similar to Algeria - both being military wins for the "COIN".

    To fill a gap in my ignorance, did Galula file any reports (which are available) re: his service in Greece as a UN military observer ?

    Regards

    Mike

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