utility force utility force art war treatise modern warfare written general sir published smith retired general spent years british_army commanded gulf war served general officer commanding northern_ireland end troubles motivated write book experiences balkans commanded bosnia time massacre occurred capital siege forces smith instrumental lifting siege arranging nato air strikes artillery barrage enabled ground assault croatian forces ended siege led agreement smith second involvement balkans war serving nato deputy supreme allied commander europe overseeing air strikes targets smith thesis central theme world entered new conflict end 20th beginning 21st centuries calls war people western armies ill suited new style warfare defining characteristics war people conflicts tend timeless political nature fought parties civilian population armies battlefield prove theory smith provides detailed history starting napoleon invented smith calls industrial warfare entire resources nation mustered culminated world wars second half book smith states advent nuclear weapons rendered industrial warfare obsolete western governments generals refused acknowledge new led significant defeats second half 20th century provides themes modern conflicts proceeds detail final chapter reflections command bosnia massacre believing position act massacre strategy effectively intervening war conclusion smith argues military force solution modern conflicts combined political initiatives subdue necessarily end conflict utility force broadly praised reviewers sides atlantic compared favourably treatise war american reviewers felt contained important lessons united_states military smith criticised shift reviewers observing conventional wars fought threat wars exists drawing clear distinction war people conventional war particularly opening sentence war longer exists reviewers felt smith emphasised extent war people existed nonetheless reviewers praised smith analysis modern war recommended utility force ought read politicians military officers background general sir retired career military officer served british_army years height career smith held significant commands conventional conflicts wars people major general commanded gulf war went serve assistant chief defence staff operations security time came conclusion military force achieve things intervene political conflict contain deter destroy smith decision write utility force prompted experience balkans late january smith appointed command sent intervene war smith based capital devised strategy multi national force deployed effectively carry mainly humanitarian tasks plan bring war successful conclusion time smith deployment middle siege smith instrumental lifting arranging nato air strikes artillery barrage forces commanded ground campaign croatian forces eventually led brought war end smith command massacre recognised yugoslavia act genocide took place adamant smith bore responsibility events british officials emerge distinction intervention bosnia nonetheless believed experience smith theoretical writings smith served general officer commanding northern_ireland conclusion troubles war smith nato deputy supreme allied commander europe nato commenced air strikes forces led lacking defined objectives smith worked incorporate bombing raids overall strategy narrative industrial war book opens statement war longer exists war battle field men machinery massive deciding event dispute international affairs unlikely happen premise book world experiencing new war late 20th early 21st centuries smith war people open ended conflicts norm smith believes western armies struggle win wars people opponents armies uses term describe terrorist guerrilla movements states belief fighters adapt easily state institutions exhibit greater understanding utility force army fighters civilian population objectives political military seek win hearts minds hold territory consequence wars longer confined battlefield theatre operations fluid commanders operate inside theatre prove theory smith provides detailed history modern warfare examples history illustrate book smith analyses use force examples achieve particular aims discussion history begins napoleon invented industrial warfare prior napoleon wars fought territory ideology substantially alter balance power nations napoleon concept war involved entire resources nation aim defeating opponent replacing political order order meet new challenge undertook sweeping reforms napoleon strategy prussian response influenced prussian general writing treatise war published posthumously narrative smith analyses armies applied force order achieve objectives discusses emergence guerrilla forces war smith believes war people irregular forces clear leadership structure conducting hit run attacks napoleon forces fighting preserve ideology spanish independence battlefield victory concept industrial war culminated early 20th century world wars war people second half book smith states advent atomic bomb rendered industrial warfare obsolete governments concept cold war era cold war act old style industrial war belief industrial war tactics institutions continued post cold war era smith believes political military leaders refused acknowledge new war people resulted significant defeats france algeria united_states vietnam soviet_union afghanistan caused problems nato operations balkans later western iraq afghanistan smith notes new soldiers frequently asked undertake new tasks humanitarian operations equipped trained old conflicts armies final book smith uses themes describe new war ends fight changing hard objectives decide political outcome establishing conditions outcome decided fight people battlefield conflicts tend timeless fight preserve force gain objective occasion new uses found old weapons organizations products industrial war sides non state comprising form multinational grouping non state party parties smith proceeds discuss themes detail smith discusses modern guerrilla campaigns including civil wars ethnic conflicts balkans middle_east africa conflicts discusses second half wars people appear conventional forces smith analyses situations countries adapted tactics order respond war people israeli forces response resorted targeted searches superior firepower proved ineffective points modern wars rarely fought individual nations parties consist sub state entities western governments particular fight way casualties material losses minimum smith critical conduct american led coalition iraq war followed initial invasion occupation iraq soldiers undertaking counter operations proper skills equipment task believes commanders working tactical strategic level operations sufficiently guided intelligence relying heavily battlefield strength assessments insurgents technical capabilities political objectives smith includes anecdotes personal reflections career final chapter book dedicated smith reflections command bosnia describes smith admitting events summer smith suggests genocide position prevent described force reinforced camps international troops attempting defend delivery humanitarian aid smith belief governments contributed soldiers intention committing fight decided deploy forces intention employ force having scared inaccurate reporting lack understanding war conclusion smith states belief modern politicians military leaders use force utility commit military forces fully defined political strategic objectives believes politicians generals remain mindset industrial war leads prepare decisive confrontation happens failing recognise shift way wars fought discussing humanitarian balkans smith argue intervention believes intervention based understanding conflict clear strategy defined objectives according smith act force decisive aim modern conflicts win people achieved battlefield victory argues industrial war war led victory peace modern confrontation leads conflict confrontation asserts force solution modern conflicts require complex political military solutions subdue necessarily permanently end conflict release critical reception utility force published november imprint writing new_york_times described utility force closely argued searching textbook strategy efficient use military power post cold war era described difficult challenging book saying hear hit works way argument sub arguments proceeding step times history lecture forced march familiar terrain patient readers discover final destination second review new_york_times history professor harvard_university described utility force update war times went smith drawing clear distinction war people war peoples pointing conflicts single people wars people easily transform wars people citing bosnia example smith recommendations future smith believes new equipment strategies required order armies effective new offer suggestions final criticism described book limited historical perspective smith argues war people emerged second half 20th century wars campaigns cold war era gave examples similar campaigns pre dated cold war including boer war campaigns fought eastern_europe second world war nonetheless concludes utility force impressive absorbing work described smith low intensity conflict operations academic professor strategic studies wrote washington_post british_army higher sophisticated leaders thought hard profession arms found armed forces including military believed explained produces generals write important books wrote smith thesis world entered new era conflict central importance united_states military believed undergo significant adaptation smith correct criticised book limited historical perspective noting conventional wars fought example war confrontations asia threatened spill conventional warfare concluded smith clearly written important books modern warfare decade better united_states generals like guardian reviewed book crisis iraq believes makes similar arguments smith reach slightly different conclusions smith force wider political strategy war avoided possible use force inevitable described smith soldier trying continuing purpose profession described books worthwhile efforts map difficult ground sir professor international relations university_of_oxford critical reviewing utility force independent roberts believed smith stated transformation new war playing extent wars people emphasised role technology shift industrial warfare continuation industrial war way example roberts points iran iraq war role precision bombing united_states campaigns end 20th century conclusion roberts states possible details miss essential point book involvement today crises attempt stop atrocities bring wars end requires capacity clear thought sensitivity situation talent acting armed forces officers possessed badly need writing journal professor international relations gave detailed analysis smith opening sentence war longer exists concluded war war smith eye catching quote force argument praises smith criticism failed recognise shift war lack strategy military campaigns late 20th early 21st centuries concludes statement smith experience book controversial good standard reading military academy general chief defence staff included list publications recommended officers wishing improve leadership skills
The Utility of Force