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Original Articles

Postmodernist Command: A Contradiction in Terms for the British Army?

Pages 305-322 | Published online: 17 Jul 2006
 

Notes

1 See, for example, David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change (Oxford: Basil Blackwell 1980) p.116.

2 See, for example, John Alan Williams, ‘The Postmodern Military Reconsidered’, Charles Moskos et al. (ed.), The Postmodern Military: Armed Forces after the Cold War (Oxford: OUP 2000) pp.265–77.

3 See, for example: Harvey (note 1) pp.32, 114, 230; Charles Lindholm, ‘Logical and Moral Dilemmas of Postmodernism’, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 3 (1997) pp.747–60; Madan Sarup, An Introductory Guide to Post‐structuralism and Postmodernism, 1st edition (London: Harvester Wheatsheaf 1993) pp.157, 269.

4 Robert Cooper, and Gibson Burrell, ‘Modernism, Postmodernism and Organizational Analysis: An Introduction’, Organization Studies 9 (1988) pp.91–112.

5 See the useful summaries of postmodernist writers in Stanley J. Grenz, A Primer on Postmodernism (Cambridge: William B. Erdmans 1996).

6 Rosemary Pringle, ‘Office Affairs’, in Susan Wright (ed.), Anthropology of Organizations (London: Routledge 1994) pp. 115–23, this p.117.

7 Graham Cray, Postmodern Culture and Youth Discipleship: Commitment or Looking Cool? (Cambridge: Grove Books 1998).

8 Hans R. Rookmaaker, Modern Art and the Death of a Culture (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books 1994).

9 This is a more developed version of the table first published in Charles Kirke, ‘Postmodernism to Structure: An Upstream Journey for the Military Recruit?’, in Richard Holmes and Terri McConville (eds.), Defence Management in Uncertain Times (London and Portland, OR: Frank Cass 2003) p.142.

10 Sun Tzu, The Art of War, translated by Samuel B. Griffith (Oxford: OUP 1971).

11 Carl von Clausewitz (Michael Howard and Peter Paret, eds.), On War (London: Everyman 1993).

12 MOD, Design for Military Operations – The British Military Doctrine, Army Code 71451 (1989).

13 Jack Snyder, The Ideology of the Offensive: Military Decision Making and the Disasters of 1914 (Ithaca, NY and London: Cornell UP 1984) p.27, as quoted in the Editor’s introduction to John Gooch (ed.), The Origins of Contemporary Doctrine (Camberley, UK: Strategic and Combat Studies Inst. [SCSI] Occasional Papers, No. 26, 1997) p.6.

14 Snyder (note 13) p.17.

15 See for example Gary Sheffield’s letter, ‘The Principles of War’, British Army Review, No.131 (Spring 2003).

16 Brian Holden Reid, A Doctrinal Perspective 1988–98 (Camberley, UK: SCSI Occasional Papers, No. 33, 1998) p.12.

17 J.F.C. Fuller, The Foundations of the Science of War (London: Hutchinson 1926) p.38.

18 See John Waters, ‘The Influence of Field Marshal Sir Nigel Bagnall’, British Army Review, No.130, (Autumn 2002) pp.37–40, for a discussion of the introduction of doctrine and ‘the coherent approach…that formed the basis of SDR and shaped ..the entirety of the UK armed forces’ that doctrine engendered.

19 MOD, Design for Military Operations: the British Military Doctrine, 2nd edition, Army Code 71451 (1996), Foreword, and p.1.

20 Colin J. McInnes, Men, Machines and the Emergence of Modern Warfare 1914–1945 (Camberley, UK: SCSI Occasional Papers, No. 2, 1992) Introduction.

21 MOD, British Defence Doctrine, JWP (Joint Warfare Publication) 0–01, 2nd edition (2001).

22 MOD, Army Doctrine Publication (ADP), Vol. 2 Command, Army Code 71564 (1995).

23 British Defence Doctrine (note 21) pp.3–4.

24 John Kiszely, ‘The Meaning of Manoeuvre’, RUSI Journal 143/6 (Dec. 1998) p.38.

25 British Defence Doctrine (note 21) pp. 3–5.

26 Ibid. pp. 3–7.

27 See, for example, Command (note 22) Annex A to Chapter 4.

28 See, for example, the ‘Standing Operating Procedures’ published as part of MOD, Land Component Handbook, 10 vols. (2000–2001).

29 Command (note 22), Chapter 3.

30 Clausewitz (note 11) p.38.

31 Correlli Barnett, Britain and Her Army (London: Cassell 2000, orig. 1970) p.404.

32 John Kiszely, The British Army and Approaches to Warfare since 1945 (Camberley, UK: SCSI Occasional Papers, No. 26,1997) p.21.

33 Robin Neillands, The Desert Rats: 7th Armoured Division 1940–1945 (London: Orion Books 1995) p.104.

34 Correlli Barnett, The Desert Generals (London: Cassell 1999, orig. 1960) p.313.

35 Design for Military Operations (note 19).

36 Command (note 22) p.2–1.

37 MOD, ADP, Vol. 1 Operations, Army Code 71565 (1994) para. 0213.

38 Nick Cook, ‘Cause and Effect’, Jane’s Defence Weekly, 18 June 2003, pp. 52–7, this p.52.

39 David Fraser, Knight’s Cross: A Life of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (London: HarperCollins 1994) p.327.

40 British Defence Doctrine (note 21) p.37.

41 Coker argues that ‘the modern age hated as no other’, Christopher Coker, ‘Post Modern War’, RUSI Journal 143/3 (June 1998) p.14.

42 Andrew Gordon, ‘Ratcatchers and Regulators at the Battle of Jutland’, in Gary Sheffield and Geoffrey Till, Challenges of High Command in the 20th Century (Camberley, UK: SCSI Occasional Papers, No.38, Dec. 1999) pp.44–51, this p.44.

43 British Military Doctrine (note 21), Chapter 4, Figure 6.

44 Kevin B. Smith, ‘Combat Information Flow’, Military Review (April 1989) pp.42–54; Jim Storr, ‘The Nature of Military Thought’, PhD, Cranfield University, 2002.

45 Smith (note 44) p.50.

46 John. F. Schmitt, and Gary A. Klein, ‘Fighting in the Fog: Dealing with Battlefield Uncertainty’, Marine Corps Gazette (Aug. 1996) pp.62–9, this p.65.

47 Zvi Lanir, Baruch Fischoff, and Stephen Johnson, ‘Military Risk Taking: C3I and the Cognitive Functions of Boldness in War’, Journal of Strategic Studies 11/1 (March 1988) pp.96–114, this p.99.

48 Storr (note 44) pp.49–78.

49 Anon. military proverb.

50 See, for example, MOD, Strategic Defence Review, White Paper (London: TSO 1998) Chapter 3.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Charles Kirke

Charles Kirke is a retired Lieutenant Colonel, British Army

James York

James York is a serving Officer, British Army.

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