Sotilasfilosofi Quincy Wright ja sodankäynnin muutos – informaatioajan evolutiivinen ja systeeminen näkemys sodankäyntiin

Kirjoittajat

• Sakari Ahvenainen

Abstrakti

Quincy Wright and the changes in warfare In this article estimation about the fifth mega phase of warfare – global information warfare – is presented based on professor Quincy Wright (1890 – 1970) book "A Study of War” (1942). This book is a rapport of maybe the largest single project study of warfare. This project was conducted 1926 – 1942 in the University of Chicago. Evolution and systems theory are chosen in the article as the context of Wright’s model to evaluate its scientific background and validity. Wright estimates that the mega phases of warfare have resulted mainly because of the new information technology, which have made possible the increase of the size of the organization of mankind, first by the invention of speech from small hunting group of humans to a tribe (animal warfare to primitive warfare), then by the invention of the writing from the tribe to a state (primitive warfare to historic warfare) and lastly by the invention of the print from the state to a culture (historic warfare to modern warfare). It is shown in the article that in these mega phases of warfare mostly the same changes have happened three times. This is a solid base to estimate the characteristics of the fifth mega phase of warfare, a prediction of Wrights model. It is originated by the introduction of new information technology, the global, integrated and electronic information technology. Its cores are globalization, global information, computer networks, especially internet and rule of complexity. Warfare and its context, society and its context, the global mankind will chance. The previous phase, modern warfare lasted 500 years. The new phase, post-modern warfare lasts clearly less than a century. By dealing with mega phases of warfare, Wright can only predict large and long term trends. In this context one speaks in the systems theory even about theoretical history. It is shown in the article that Wright’s model is very evolutionary and systemic, although Wright does not write hardly anything about evolution and nothing about systems theory. The last one was fist introduced in the late 1960’s, over 20 years after Wright’s book. Wright’s model confirms the systems theory and its application, evolution. One of the principal duties of science is to compare the data with the greatest theories of science. This is found to be true also in military science. It is found in the article that the causes, explanations and theories of warfare differ by the principal and historical levels of warfare. Combat techniques of a man, tactics of a group of man, operational art of large groups of man, strategy of a state and coalition strategy of a coalition are examples of this structure of levels. To extend this finding to the fifth mega phase of warfare, a new global information strategy (of the mankind) is needed for the study and practice of warfare of post-modern times. Artikkelin teksti on suomeksi.