RESISTANCE AND REBELLION
Course Description:
Throughout history, poorly armed groups—and even unarmed ones—have effectively resisted and even defeated technologically and materially stronger forces. As the U.S prepares for a renewed era of Great Power Competition, it is imperative that decision-makers understand the causes and consequences of violent and non-violent resistance movements and the dynamics of proxy warfare. To that end, this graduate course examines organized resistance, rebellion, and revolt abroad with an eye towards identifying specific challenges for foreign policy decision-making.
While appreciating the enormous human suffering brought about by war, this class will begin with an introduction to U.S. strategic thinking on organized resistance abroad. Students will then survey the extant theoretical literature on how, why, and under what conditions individuals, communities, and groups rebel. Next, we transition to an examination of the organization, logistics, recruitment, and activities of distinct types of resistance movements. In doing so, we will explore the specific impediments organizers face in mobilizing support and forming durable movements and discuss the strategies and tactics employed by violent and non-violent resistance movements alike. More broadly, we will survey the various repertoires of resistanceavailable to populations beyond taking up arms, to include acts of “everyday resistance,” such as shirking and sabotage, symbolic resistance, such as poetry and graffiti, and the formation of non-violent political movements in places like Hong Kong, Turkey, Iran, and China. During this section, we will read and discuss excerpts from political philosophers of rebellion and study the original writings of theorists and practitioners of Twentieth Century rebellion, such as T.E. Lawrence, Mao Zedong, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, Vo Nguyen Giap, and more.
In the second part of the course, we examine historical cases of organized resistance to include the anti-Axis resistance in World War II, Cold War-inspired resistance movements in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America, and post-Cold War movements. Next, we discuss the various instruments available to U.S. policymakers seeking to either defeat a resistance movement abroad or empower it. For the former, we will briefly discuss the U.S. approach to counterinsurgency and the inherent challenges of waging a population-centric, “hearts and minds” campaign. For the latter strategy, we will examine the unique dilemmas U.S. policymakers face when seeking to support resistance groups and proxy forces in places such as Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya. Lastly, we will discuss contemporary threats to the U.S. from adversary-backed organized resistance in the form of highly capable proxy forces in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In doing so, we consider the role that structural factors, such as global environmental change, demographic change, growing urbanization, shifting energy markets, and emerging technologies play in fomenting and enabling organized resistance abroad. By the end of the course, students will 1). Be conversant in both U.S. strategy, approaches, and history regarding organized resistance, rebellion, and proxy warfare and the associated theoretical and empirical literature; 2). Be able to think critically and analytically about organized resistance; and 3) Appreciate the challenges and policy options available to national security decision-makers dealing with organized resistance groups abroad.