Volumes have been written on the conduct of war while there is a dearth ofinformation on how to resolve it. Not only is the military lacking in written doctrine regarding war termination, but it also maintains and precipitates a rather narrow view about war and its resolution. Conflict resolution does not simply happen as a result of a series of successful battles, yet this is how the American military plans, prepares, trains and thinks about war. There are a number of rational and non-rational factors which contribute to the cause of war termination. This paper explores some of the non-rational factors which should be considered by the operational commander as he plans for, and participates in armed conflict. This paper is not a comprehensive guidebook for writing termination plans. Its intent is to focus on the ways military actions influence diplomacy, and to persuade the operational commander to think in terms of resolving the conflict rather than winning the war. Conflict termination, Negotiation, Peace, Operational considerations.
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