Swedish Defence University
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Kinas marina diplomati i medelhavet 2011-2024 : en teorikonsumerande studie
No full textThis study investigates Chinas naval diplomacy in the Mediterranean, defined as the use of threat of limited naval force to achieve political objectives. The aim is to enhance our understanding of China´s presence and activities in the region. Since first entering the Mediterranean in 2011, the People´s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has conducted port visits, joint naval exercises, and a range of maritime operations. Existing research has primarily focused on China´s assertive behaviour in its immediate neighbourhood, such as the South China Sea, and its support of the Maritime Silk Road which spans multiple continents. However, there is a gap in the literature concerning China´s naval diplomacy in the Mediterranean. This study seeks to address this gap. The research applies Rowland´s model for naval diplomacy to examine selected events, identifying actors involved, the methods employed, and the messages conveyed. By analysing both academic research and news sources, the study reveals that China has employed a combination of soft and hard naval power in the Mediterranean. These efforts support infrastructural investments, strengthen bilateral relations and exert pressure on Nato. Unlike many previous studies that distinguish between either soft or hard power approaches, this study highlights China´s use of both in tandem
Mekaniserad krigföring i urban terräng : En beskrivande fallstudie
No full textAs war between Russia and Ukraine continues, it has seen the ravaging of cities and the civilian population. Urban warfare is on the rise and could be seen as avoidable in future conflicts. The purpose of this study is to describe how mechanized units were used in the battle for Mariupol and Kharkiv 2022. The material used to analyze in the study consists of recollections and statements from firsthand sources collected by Ukrainian journalists as well as work done by independent researchers. The theoretical framework in the study is based on Thunholm & Henåkers theory of an ideal sequence on how to achieve tactical success in the battlefield. The method used is a descriptive case study. Previous research has shown that due to changes in military strategies and a focus on insurgency fighting it has led defense forces to structure combat vehicles and doctrines against weaker foes and urban combat training is not shaped for a battle against an equal or stronger adversary. The results of this study show that mechanized units can play a significant role in both offensive and defensive operations in urban areas. They can be used to break fortifications and defensive positions. They can provide excellent support for infantry, but the key role seems to be counter attacks as they allow rapid movement with great firepower and a shock factor if surprise is achieved.
Mellan kall och kontroll : Hur arméofficeren formar sin professionella identitet
No full textThis study explores how the professional identity of the Swedish army officer is shaped by the interplay between subjective professional beliefs and organizational expectations. Drawing on a thematic analysis of interviews with officers and a norm analysis of relevant policy documents, the results reveal two main themes; identity as constructed through daily professional practice, and identity as influenced by institutional structures and norms. The analysis, grounded in interpretivist methodology and guided by a framework as theoretical lenses understanding officers’ identity, shows that officer identity is dynamic, negotiated, and shaped by both role enactment and value conflicts. The study contributes to the field of war studies by offering a nuanced understanding of how military professionalism is constructed in peacetime as a foundation for the use of military capabilities in the hands of an effective officer corps
En evig strävan efter makt : En teorikonsumerande fallstudie av Israels operation Peace for Galilee
No full textThe failed assassination attempt on Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom served as the catalyst for an Israeli invasion of Lebanon. On June 6, 1982, Israel launched operation Peace for Galilee, which aimed to eliminate the threat posed by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to Israel’s northern border. The PLO, along with Syrian forces, was gradually pushed back toward Beirut by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The operation lasted for three months and resulted in the elimination of the PLO’s influence in Lebanon. John J. Mearsheimer, a realist scholar, developed the theory of offensive realism, which offers a perspective on why states initiate aggressive behaviour towards other states. According to Mearsheimer, states strive for power maximization, with the ultimate goal of becoming regional hegemons in order to ensure their own security within the world order. This study aims to analyse Israel’s operation through the theory of offensive realism, in order to deepen the understanding of Israel’s military strategy during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon. The study examined how Israel sought to gain control over strategically important terrain, leveraged its superior military power, and weakened the capacity of its opponents to resist. The conclusions drawn from the study indicate that Israel’s military strategy displays patterns that can be understood as power-maximizin
Staten och kapitalet : En studie om näringslivet, underrättelsetjänster och neutralitetspolitiken mellan 1939–1942
No full textThis study investigates the interaction between the Swedish business elite and intelligence services during the early years of World War II, focusing on the Wallenberg sphere and its potential influence on Swedish neutrality policy. Through a theory-consuming case study grounded in Colin S. Gray’s and B.H. Liddell Hart’s concepts of strategy and grand strategy, the research interprets how economic actors, operating beyond the formal political apparatus, contributed to shaping state decisions through information exchange, informal diplomacy, and strategic communication. The analysis draws on historical records, correspondence, and archival material to explore how private networks engaged with Allied intelligence and how such interactions may have reinforced Sweden’s strategic positioning. By highlighting the intersection between business, intelligence, and statecraft, the study offers a framework for understanding strategy as a multidimensional phenomenon, relevant not only to historians but also to contemporary military officers operating in complex international environments
Lojalitet i en förändrad omvärld : En studie av officerskårens lojalitet utifrån Moskos Institution/Occupation-modell
No full textThis study explores how perceived organizational values relate to loyalty among officers attending the Higher Officers Program at the Swedish Defence University. The theoretical framework is based primarily on Charles Moskos' Institution/Occupation model and Engelkes’ loyalty framework with Battistelli’s perspective serving as a complementary lens. The study employs a quantitative research design using survey data (n=135), analyzed through correlation, regression, and exploratory factor analysis. The findings confirm a positive and statistically significant relationship between perceived institutional values and reported loyalty. However, this relationship does not fully explain the variation in loyalty, suggesting that other factors may also contribute. While officers from different educational backgrounds reported differing perceptions of organizational values, no corresponding difference in loyalty levels was found. This indicates that loyalty remains stable over time. These results contribute to a broader understanding of loyalty in military contexts and underscore the need to examine additional influences beyond institutional values
Kognitiv krigföring : En diskursanalys av Natos konstruktion av det kognitiva hotet
No full textThis study examines how NATO constructs the concept of cognitive warfare as a strategic threat through discursive processes. Drawing on Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe’s discourse theory and Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis, it analyses how linguistic and ideological elements shape and legitimise strategic understandings of a new warfighting concept within the cognitive operational domain. The analysis of NATO’s texts identifies key concepts, contradictions, and hegemonic points of fixation in the discursive construction of cognitive warfare and reveals how science and emerging or disruptive technologies are employed interdiscursively. The findings demonstrate that NATO’s discourse not only reflects a shifting threat and conflict landscape but also contribute to redefining the concept of security and establishing a new norm of warfare. The study underscores the need for practical reflexivity in the construction of threats and highlights the importance of critically examining the ethical and strategic implications of such discourse
Effektiv totalförsvarsplanering : Om det civil-militära samarbetet på Gotland
No full textTotal defense has, in the past decade, become a renewed mainstay on the Swedish political agenda, and the goals are clear regarding what the civilian and military components of the Swedish total defense should achieve, both independently and together. Despite this clarity, there is no clear scientific consensus on whether the inter-organisational collaboration that is required in total defense is functioning effectively. This study aims to shed light on the effectiveness of civil-military collaboration in the case of total defense planning on Gotland, the largest island by area in the Baltic Sea and among the most strategically valuable NATO assets in the region. The results show that four factors of network effectiveness (goal consensus, number of participants, need for network-level competencies and trust) contribute in various ways to the effectiveness of collaboration on Gotland. These factors help establish a shared understanding of objectives, enable civilian actors to understand and appreciate the aims of total defence planning and allow actors to utilize each other’s capabilities, to achieve said common goals
En intervjustudie av fenomenet kåranda inom det svenska flygvapnet
No full textThis interview study has used respondent interviews of commissioned officer (CO) and noncommissioned officers (NCO) and their experience of the phenomenon, with support of an interpretivist approach and inductive reasoning, to analyze and describe the Esprit de Corps (EDC) of the Swedish Air Force (SAF). The purpose main of this study is to contribute knowledge to the military research field with understanding of the Esprit de Corps based from a personnel perspective within the SAF in comparison to former research within the area. The main findings, after analyzes of the empirical data, of this study, is that the Swedish Air Force Esprit the Corps likely can be described as autonomous and collective, that it is characterized by acceptance for differences and that officers and noncommissioned officers Esprit de Corps is characterized by the commitment for SAF operational tasks and pride towards the force methods for human communication that is based upon openness, simplicity and an inclusive approac