Cover art for Military Theory and the Conduct of War
Published
Hurst Publishers, July 2025
ISBN
9781911723936
Format
Hardcover, 176 pages
Dimensions
19cm × 12.6cm

Military Theory and the Conduct of War What Is Strategy All About?

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Due July 25, 2025.
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Is there a universal theory for the conduct of war?

The question of whether there is a general, universal theory for the conduct of war has long preoccupied military thinkers, army personnel and students of conflict. Warfare has been radically transformed throughout history, under the influence of technological change. But is there anything enduring that can be determined about it, taught in military schools and applied in practice?

Azar Gat offers a fresh look at the relationship between politics and war, examining the meanings of 'victory', offence and defence, and the significance and role of concepts like the 'principles of war' and military 'doctrine'. He analyses the successive military innovations of modernity, including the advent of nuclear weapons and the ongoing cyber and robotics revolutions of our own times. He also explains why guerrilla warfare and terrorism have grown increasingly important, and where they are heading.

With China and Russia posing a growing challenge to the global order today, Gat asks if war is truly in our nature or if it is, in fact, declining. This is a vital text for all students of war, whether in academia, in the military or among the public at large.

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