Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Historically Has Any Empire Won A War Of Counter Insurgency?

Posted on 08/23/2017 7:19:07 AM PDT by Enlightened1

Historically speaking has any Empire won a war of counter insurgency? I'm hearing this talk about Afghanistan, and do not know the answer?

I think the odds are not good when you think of the American Revolution, Vietnam, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc.. and an added bonus the "rules of engagement".

For the record, I am very strong President Trump supporter. Love the guy and will support him 100%.

Just looking for good answers. Thanks!


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; Politics/Elections; War on Terror; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; afghanwar; americanrevolution; counterinsurgency; maga; pakistan; theswamp; trumpafghanwar; vietnam
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-92 next last

1 posted on 08/23/2017 7:19:07 AM PDT by Enlightened1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

Yes.

The Romans beat the Hebrews in the Bar Kokhba revolt.

To defeat an insurgency, you can follow the Roman recipe.


2 posted on 08/23/2017 7:22:10 AM PDT by HombreSecreto (The life of a repo man is always intense)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1
Mongols. they gave you one chance, then burned your city or village to the ground and killed everyone man women children. only had to do that a couple times. word got around.

interesting footnote: one area of trouble they ran into was in what is now Afghanistan with the precursors to the Taliban. Used the the same tactics listed above, worked.

As far as i can tell in history, its the only time anyone has actually established anything remotely like peace in that place, for any length of time.

3 posted on 08/23/2017 7:23:22 AM PDT by beebuster2000
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1
More or less on this topic, Pat Buchanan writes this: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2017/08/22/is_trumps_agenda_being_eclipsed_134801.html
4 posted on 08/23/2017 7:23:43 AM PDT by Reno89519 (Drain the Swamp is not party specific. Lyn' Ted is still a liar, Good riddance to him.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

The Spanish Civil War comes to mind.

You will note that survival required treating the press as the combatants they are.


5 posted on 08/23/2017 7:24:02 AM PDT by MrEdd (Caveat Emptor)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

Chechnya, Carthage, Constantinople.


6 posted on 08/23/2017 7:24:31 AM PDT by rightwingcrazy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HombreSecreto

>>To defeat an insurgency, you can follow the Roman recipe.

You must follow it.


7 posted on 08/23/2017 7:25:51 AM PDT by Bryanw92 (If we had some ham, we could have ham and eggs, if we had some eggs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

Yes.

But we don’t have the guts to win that way.


8 posted on 08/23/2017 7:26:14 AM PDT by Gamecock ("We always choose according to our greatest inclination at the moment." R.C. Sproul)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

As a Scripture Scholar who dabbles in History via Biblical History, I would think the question a difficult one to answer, especially if one is looking for odds rather than a single example, for two reasons:

1) History tends to be written by the victors, and so unsuccessful insurgencies would be more easily submerged in the mists of time.

2) Definition of terms: what constitutes an insurgency (the Scots under Bonny Prince Charlie?); and what constitutes success—both for the insurgents and for the ones putting down the insurgency (the Irish rebelled multiple times against the English, and for a long time England held on to the whole of Ireland, and England still has a foothold).

The Jews rebelled multiple times against the Romans. There is now a Jewish state—whether there is still a Roman state is more debatable.


9 posted on 08/23/2017 7:26:36 AM PDT by Hieronymus (It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged. --G. K. Chesterton)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HombreSecreto

I guess the modern day version would be nuke it from orbit?

The only problem with that is if we want to use Afghanistan as a Forward Operating Base for Iran and China?

That way we will have Iran and China pretty much surrounded.


10 posted on 08/23/2017 7:26:38 AM PDT by Enlightened1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: HombreSecreto

Thanks too.


11 posted on 08/23/2017 7:27:01 AM PDT by Enlightened1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

It is not a matter of counter-insurgency, it is a matter of what our goal is and whether we are to use the tools at hand to carry it out. We cannot defeat Islamic terrorists, for example, is we still see Islam as a “religion of peace”. We need to draw a line and simply kill the enemy. Give no quarter to them. We cannot allow them to gain a foothold, to undermine us. Afghanistan is a problem, Pakistan is bigger one. We need to be consistent, kill the enemy, stop nation building. Once the enemy is dead, if there is anyone left, maybe we can help this rebuild. It worked in Japan and Germany, it can work today.


12 posted on 08/23/2017 7:27:39 AM PDT by Reno89519 (Drain the Swamp is not party specific. Lyn' Ted is still a liar, Good riddance to him.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

Or, Iran and China will have us boxed in.


13 posted on 08/23/2017 7:27:48 AM PDT by VietVet876
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: rightwingcrazy

Great points! Thank you!


14 posted on 08/23/2017 7:28:45 AM PDT by Enlightened1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: VietVet876

This is why we need India and Russia.


15 posted on 08/23/2017 7:29:22 AM PDT by Enlightened1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

Britain, Malaysia, 1959.


16 posted on 08/23/2017 7:30:03 AM PDT by exit82 (The opposition has already been Trumped!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

Not without a brutality that most Americans would not accept, and not without massive occupation and without installing a brutal puppet ruler.

The Council on Foreign Relations formula for counter-insurgency will never work.

The real question is how to stop the invasion of America by hostile foreigners?


17 posted on 08/23/2017 7:30:38 AM PDT by jjotto ("Ya could look it up!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

This seems to have a change from Nation Building to “Let’s go kill those M/Fs that killed our friends.” Not that it’s a bad thing though.


18 posted on 08/23/2017 7:30:48 AM PDT by Enterprise (Do away with all symbols of past slavery. Start with the Democrat Party.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hieronymus

All good points and thank you.


19 posted on 08/23/2017 7:30:55 AM PDT by Enlightened1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Enlightened1

The British empire put down many insurgencies. They were quite good at it.


20 posted on 08/23/2017 7:31:16 AM PDT by buffaloguy (Bond arms Cowbot)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-92 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson