Quote Originally Posted by William F. Owen View Post
Toby, why not just state, that there is nothing useful to be had from comparing the two conflicts. It's like comparing Korea with the Boer War. Two completely different conflicts.

Looks and interesting course, but where is the Clausewitz, or even the Kitson? Nothing on Northern Ireland? No Colin Gray - Another Bloody Century? I submit that these may merit some serious attention.

Regardless of that and all due respect, it seems to have it's routes very much in the US "sudden learning of COIN", rather than in bones of a very traditional and well covered form of warfare.

However, I am extremely impressed you that you took the time to knock this out. Good job, and well done.
I really enjoy history and tactics myself; but have found that real learning comes by continually asking "why" and comparing and drilling down into every case study looking for what the root causes, or "truths" if you will, are there to be extracted. Much of what is written on Iraq and Afghanistan is much more about TTPs based largely on that current experience than about any great analysis seeking the truths about the root causes and solutions to the problem.

I see a lot of what I call "Dust Bowl Strategy": A lot of people replowing the the top 6" of the problem; creating a lot of dust and noise, but never getting to the root of the problem.

My one piece of advice is for you to challenge your students to look past the vignettes and the conclusions of "experts," and to take their own journey to to attempt to get deeper into the question of why such conflicts occur in general, and what aspects of the relationship between the distinct populaces and governments that you study caused these factors to manifest in violence, and then, to look at how all this combined with the total environment and military/insurgent actions and reactions to lead to what was then captured in history. This might be hard if your syllabus is too much like the Platte river: A mile wide and an inch deep.

Not a show stopper, just keep everyone focused on WHY.