Commentary

Zapatero EUNew Bottles for Old Wine? The Foreign Policy Priorities of the EU’s Spanish Presidency What is good for Spain is not necessarily good for Europe, and vice versa. Post-Lisbon, which will dominate the agenda?
22 Mar 2010
Iraqi voterIraq's elections - between opportunities and challenges The importance of Iraq's national elections on 7 March cannot be over-estimated. While the ballots continue to be counted and discussions of possible alliances to form Iraq's next government ensue, it is pertinent to assess the electoral process itself and the next political stage of Iraq's infant democracy.
17 Mar 2010
Crimean War 2The Anglo-French Crimean War Coalition, 1854–1856 The Anglo-French coalition that fought Russia was an unlikely combination. After 1815 relations had often been hostile, and yet they managed to concert policy and strategy to invade and defeat Russia – the continental superpower of the age.
16 Mar 2010
Secretary of State McNamara and General Westmorland in VietnamThe Challenges of Coalition-Building: The Vietnam Experience, 1964-1969 The difficulties confronting US policymakers forging a coalition during the 1960s are wholly recognisable today: to encourage political and military support for a conflict that proved deeply divisive.
15 Mar 2010
The Big Four 1919Anglo-American Co-Belligerency, 1917-1918 The relationship between Britain and American during the final years of the First World War demonstrates that a common enemy does not necessarily ensure a seamless alliance.
15 Mar 2010
Allied armies parading before the Forbidden CityThe Boxer Uprising and the Problems of Expeditionary Warfare The military intervention of eight powers in China during the ‘Boxer Uprising’ of 1900-01 proved a major test in coalition warfare. Early political and naval unity when faced with potential disaster proved more difficult to replicate on land due to the absence of inter-Allied control mechanisms.
15 Mar 2010
Wellington and Blucher Anglo-Prussian Alliance 1815Coalition Diplomacy in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars: A Great Leap Forward? Coalition warfare was an inherent feature of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. While national histories tend to overlook this aspect, coalition diplomacy formed a crucial part of Britain’s war experience and the most important factor in the eventual victory at Waterloo.
15 Mar 2010
TornadoNot with a bang but a whimper: Europe’s pending denuclearisation Within the next decade, European aircraft capable of delivering US nuclear weapons are due to be withdrawn from service. What are the options available to NATO in the debate over the continuance of its tactical nuclear capability?
12 Mar 2010
Queen and Country c PAQueen and Country: Ordinary people who pay an extraordinary price Soldiers don't talk very much about the dead, or the disfigured, or the battle stressed; except quietly to each other, not to the rest of us who will never really understand. Exhibitions like the work by the artist Steve McQueen go some way to redressing the balance between those who protect, and the rest of us.
4 Mar 2010
AfghanistanWhat does the Baradar arrest mean? The arrest of the Afghan Taliban leader has been heralded as a significant development in Washington's effort to disrupt the insurgency and a sign that Islamabad is abandoning the Taliban. But a closer look at the evidence demonstrates that his capture indicates neither a Pakistani break with militancy, nor an easing of the path ahead for the war in Afghanistan.
3 Mar 2010
kashmir photoA resilient India must not rush to look outward in its struggle against terrorism The bomb attack in Pune on 14 February, claimed by a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) splinter group, has once again brought the spectre of jihadist terrorism within India into focus. To build on progress made in recent talks, Indian policy makers must look beyond narrow internal and external rhetoric surrounding terrorist attacks.
2 Mar 2010
Royal Navy 2Shaping the international maritime discourse: the Royal Navy’s role The use of the sea remains fundamental to international security. At a time of increasing public spending constraints, what is the significance of naval force – and of the Royal Navy in particular – in supporting national and international defence and security.
17 Feb 2010
Future CVF Aircraft CarrierNational Crises and the Utility of Naval Power: The Haiti Case Study With the recent publication of a Ministry of Defence (MoD) Green Paper and an upcoming Strategic Defence Review (SDR), the debate over future UK defence reform has been fierce. The international response to the Haitian disaster has proven to be a case study in how important high-end naval assets can be to a wide range of UK national interests.
16 Feb 2010
Operation Moshtarak SoldierWhat Will Success Look Like in Operation Moshtarak? Operation Moshtarak is the most important campaign in Afghanistan since the invasion in 2001. Its success, however, will not be measured in military terms but in terms of public opinion, both in Helmand and the rest of Afghanistan and in the Coalition's domestic electorate.
16 Feb 2010
10th Missile Defence ConferenceThe US Administration’s new Missile Defence plans The Obama Administration has outlined a refocusing of the United States missile defence plans, revising the approach previously taken by the Bush White House. Central to the plan is the deployment of more mobile systems that could assuage the once sceptical Russians.
16 Feb 2010
parliamentIs it time to give parliamentary oversight of intelligence some teeth? The Binyam Mohamed case has turned a spotlight on the workings of intelligence agencies and highlighted problems with their oversight by the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC).
16 Feb 2010
Civilian-Military Collaboration: The Stabilisation Unit Coming of Age This lecture outlined the progress made across the UK Government in its ability to adopt a comprehensive approach focusing on the increasing contributions made by the Stabilisation Unit, particularly in Afghanistan. It reviewed the debate about the respective roles of civilians and the military in stabilisation, and the ways in which civilian skills can best be generated and managed for hostile environments. Richard Teuten provided an update on the enhanced responsibilities being taken on by the Unit and refer to other complementary changes underway.
9 Feb 2010
UAV in IraqDroning on: the American bolt from the blue The latest Quadrennial Defense Review promises to increase the numbers, sophistication and use of unmanned aerial vehicles, known as drones. Their use has rendered the boundaries of the theatres of war more fluid, requiring the rapid integration of this weapon to be piloted more carefully than ever before.
8 Feb 2010
MoD logoThe Green Paper - Premises for a Strategic Defence Review? The Green Paper to the Strategic Defence Review highlights strategic premises which should be presented to the public in the run up to the General Election.
5 Feb 2010
The Green Paper and RUSI's contribution Since the Government announced a Defence Green Paper in July 2009, and the undertaking of a Strategic Defence Review after the next General Election, RUSI has consistently delivered insightful analysis and commentary which has helped frame the national debate. The series of working papers addressing the Future Defence Review have received widespread media attention and praise from within the defence community.
5 Feb 2010
firstprevious
lastnext
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
 
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of RUSI
More >> >>
RUSI Under 35's Forum
RUSI crest 2
Network for the next generation of policy-makers and thought leaders.
More >>
RUSI Library of Military History
Library Home Card
A unique collection of national historical and cultural importance.
More >>
New Benefits
Membership badge
A greater range of membership packages announced
More >>
Follow RUSI.org
Follow RUSI
Follow RUSI through Twitter, Facebook and RSS feeds