Is There a Substitute for Victory. Acceptance of Defeat in War

摘要

The United States has generally succeeded in achieving military victory over its enemies but, in recent decades, has had less success in the completion and consolidation of victory in order to realize long term post- conflict objectives. An influential school of thought argues that it is essential for our military adversaries to understand and accept that they have been defeated in battle in order for the United States to achieve its long term objectives. This paper addresses the question of whether or not the acceptance of defeat by an enemy is, in fact, a significant contributor to post-conflict success. The research indicates that the acceptance of defeat may contribute to post-conflict success, but other factors are of equal or greater importance, including clearly defined post-conflict objectives, the effectiveness of military occupation, and the perception by both the occupier and the occupied of a common internal or external security threat. Post-conflict success requires an effective combination of the preceding factors, beginning with clear strategic objectives, but no single factor constitutes a prerequisite for or a guarantor of post-conflict success.