Britain is often revered for its extensive experience of waging ‘small wars’. Its long imperial history is littered with high profile counter-insurgency campaigns, thus marking it out as the world’s most seasoned practitioner of this type of warfare. This is the first book to detail the tactical and operational dynamics of Britain’s small wars, arguing that the military’s use of force was more heavily constrained by wider strategic and political considerations than previously admitted. Outlining the civil-military strategy followed by the British in Palestine, Malaya, Kenya, Cyprus, Aden, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, Defending the realm? argues that Britain’s small wars since 1945 were fought against the backdrop of an irrevocable decline in British power. Written from a theoretically-informed perspective, grounded in rich archival sources, oral testimonies and a revisionist reading of the literature on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism, this is the definitive account of the politics of Britain’s small wars.
Table of Content
Abbreviations
Preface and Acknowledgements
Introduction
Drawing Lines in the Sand: Withdrawal from Palestine
Winning ‘Hearts and Minds’: From Imperialism to Independence in Malaya
Quelling Rebellion: Countering the Mau Mau in Kenya
Securing the Base: Fighting Terrorists in Cyprus
Holding the Thin Red Line: Retreat from Aden
Soldiering the Peace: Combating Terrorism in Northern Ireland
Return to Mesopotamia: The Politics of Britain’s Military Intervention in Iraq
Building Peace amidst Conflict: Britain’s Changing Strategy in Afghanistan since 2001
Conclusion
Select Bibliography
Index
About the author
Aaron Edwards is Senior Lecturer in Defence and International Affairs at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst
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