Qs for Chapter 1

(Revolutionary War: Nature and Characteristics)

of Counterinsurgency Warfare - Theory and Practice

by David Galula - 1964

1. Define: Asymmetry; Disproportion; Regime (political definition); Resolute; Subversion

2. What is a revolutionary war?  (Hint: Don't just copy the first sentence.)

3. Who are the counterinsurgents are what are their goals?

4. What makes an insurgency different from a revolution?

5. What is the insurgent's key strength at the beginning of an insurgency?

6. What is the counterinsurgents great weakness at the beginning of an insurgency?

7. Why is a good old-fashioned war easier and less complicated than a revolutionary war or an insurgency?

8. Are revolutionary wars long or short?  Why?

9. Why is insurgency cheap while counterinsurgency is costly?

10. How important is ideology and propaganda in an insurgency?  Why?

11. What points does Galula make about the "Cause" in an insurgency?

12. Why is it so hard to stage an insurgency in a dictatorship or under communism?

13. Which country would be the best place to stage an insurgency in geographical terms?  Explain.  Choose between: Iraq, Madagascar, Canada, Italy, Switzerland

14. What implications does this article have for what the United States faces in dealing with the insurgency in Iraq?