Elements

Fourth generation warfare

The following article generally describes the structure of modern resistance movements.

Fourth generation warfare (4GW) is combat characterised by a blurring of the lines between war and politics, soldier and civilian, peace and conflict, battlefield and safety. The military doctrine was first defined in 1989 by a team of American analysts, including William S. Lind, used to describe warfare's return to a decentralised form. In terms of generational modern warfare, the fourth generation signifies the nation states' loss of their monopoly on combat forces, returning in a sense to the uncontrolled combat of pre-modern times. The simplest definition includes any war in which one of the major participants is not a state but rather a violent ideological network. While this term is similar to terrorism and asymmetric warfare, it is much narrower. Classical examples, such as the slave uprising under Spartacus or the assassination of Julius Caesar by the Roman senate, predate the modern concept of warfare and are examples of the type of combat modern warfare sought to eliminate. As such, fourth generation warfare uses classical tactics, tactics deemed unacceptable by the preceding generations, to weaken the advantaged opponent's will to win.

Fourth Generation Warfare is defined as conflicts which involve the following elements:

· Complex and long term (1960-2083)

· Terrorism

· A non-national or trans-national base (PCCTS, Knights Templar, Justiciar Knights -pan European)

· A direct attack on the enemy's culture (pro Christian European culture, anti-multiculturalism)

· Highly sophisticated psychological warfare, especially through manipulation of the media (media are forced to report incidents or attacks thus will indirectly market the agenda of the attackers). Had there not been any terrorist style attacks the media in general would directly undermine or ignore these organisations (with their own agenda of trying to ”silencing them to death”)

· All available networks are used - political, economic, social and military

· Occurs in low intensity conflict, involving actors from all networks

· Non-combatants become tactical dilemmas (will always try to keep civilian casualties at a minimum as some of these are likely to be a part of your own broader ”base”.

The generations of warfare:

- 1st Generation: tactics of line and column; which developed in the age of the musket.

- 2nd Generation: tactics of linear fire and movement, with reliance on indirect fire.

- 3rd Generation: tactics of infiltration to bypass and collapse the enemy's combat forces rather than seeking to close with and destroy them; and defence in depth.

The use of fourth generation warfare can be traced to the post-World War II Cold War period, as superpowers and major powers attempted to retain their grip on colonies and captured territories. Unable to withstand direct combat against bombers, tanks, and machine guns, non-state entities used tactics of secrecy, terror, and confusion to overcome the technological and resource gap.

Fourth Generation warfare has often involved an insurgent group or non-state entity trying to implement their own government or re-establish an old government over the current ruling power. However, a fourth generation war is most successful when the non-state entity does not attempt, at least in the short term, to impose its own rule, but tries simply to disorganise and de-legitimise the state in which the warfare takes place. The aim is to force the regime adversary to expend manpower and money in an attempt to establish order, ideally in such a highhanded way that it merely increases disorder, until the state surrenders, withdraws or becomes vulnerable to a military coup.

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