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Parameters Winter 2025-26
No full textWelcome to the Winter 2025–26 issue of Parameters. We open with an In Focus commentary: “Responsibly Pursuing Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) for the War Fighter” by A. Blair Wilcox and C. Anthony Pfaff. The issue also features two forums (Indo-Pacific Deterrence and Considerations for Modern Warfare) and the inaugural Strategic Competition Corner
Book Review: Sir Basil Liddell Hart: Life, Thought, Legacy
No full textAuthor: Bruce Oliver Newsome
Reviewed by: Kevin McAleer
Bruce Oliver Newsome’s book examines the life of Sir Basil Liddell Hart, and his claim to have invented the Blitzkrieg style of war used by the Germans during World War II. Newsome provides evidence that disputes this claim, which the reviewer commends for its thoroughness and nuanced point of view.
©2025 Kevin McAleerhttps://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters_bookshelf/1101/thumbnail.jp
Toward a More Effective DoD Contribution to Strategic Competition in the Western Hemisphere
Full text link©2025 R. Evan Ellis
Innovative new thinking on the security dimension of the challenges posed by the PRC’s engagement in Latin America and the DoD’s role in the whole-of-government US response is needed. This monograph highlights risks from PRC influence networks, digital architectures, and dual-use commercial facilities in the region, particularly at ports and in the space sector; shows how PRC economic engagement and other support sustains illiberal regimes, indirectly contributing to the risks these regimes pose by hosting criminal and terrorist groups and other US adversaries, such as Russia and Iran; and illustrates how commercial, people-to-people, and security engagements create options for the PRC to exploit against the United States in times of war.
It advocates for new effects-based strategic concepts for how the DoD can strengthen cooperation with the region and limit PRC access through enhanced security cooperation and leveraging partners’ valuation of their relationships with the United States to influence their choices regarding cooperation with the PRC and gain better situational awareness for responding to China. Finally, it discusses how the United States should work with regional partners to plan for likely PRC actions in the region in times of war, leveraging the presence, relationships, and knowledge created through engagement.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1971/thumbnail.jp
The Enduring Lessons of Vietnam: Implications for US Strategy and Policy
Full text linkThis article argues that the Vietnam War is a useful case study for assessing an enduring flaw in America’s approach to war. The United States suffered defeat in Vietnam because it privileged military strength and the pursuit of victory on the battlefield over other elements of national power. As in Vietnam, the wars America will likely face in the future will blend conventional and unconventional methods and use a carefully calibrated mixture of military and non-military means. The United States must situate its demonstrated strengths in conventional war fighting within a holistic framework or face similar strategic outcomes
Parameters Summer 2025
Full text linkWelcome to the Summer 2025 issue of Parameters. This issue consists of an In Focus special commentary, three forums (Indo-Pacific Challenges, Russia-Ukraine Issues, and Historical Studies)
Book Review: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine
Full text linkAuthor: Scott Horton
Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Josh VanBuskirk, commander, 6th Battalion, 95th Regiment, San Antonio, Texas
Billed by the reviewer as “must-read for military professionals who want to understand how the United States and Russia came to the precipice of war,” this book posits that the Washington bipartisan foreign policy consensus is to blame for the Russia-Ukraine War. Using US diplomats, bureaucrats, defense contractors, and politicians to make his point, Horton uses their work to argue for restraint when dealing with Russia.
©2025 Josh VanBuskirkhttps://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters_bookshelf/1087/thumbnail.jp
Understanding, Deterring, and Preparing for a Great-Power War in the Twenty-First Century
Full text linkThe US government and the US Army are unprepared for a great-power war. This integrated research project (IRP), sponsored by Vice Chief of Staff of the Army General James J. Mingus, is a critical first step in helping senior US Army leaders increase their knowledge of, and preparations for, deterring or fighting a great-power war in the twenty-first century. No one knows how long the US government and the US Army have to prepare for a future conflict. Consequently, the US Department of Defense faces difficult decisions as it balances preparing for a future war with maintaining readiness to address current challenges. The student research in this IRP only scratches the surface of what the US Department of Defense and the US Army should do to understand, deter, and prepare more effectively for the possibility of a great-power war in the twenty-first century. While the steps outlined here are preliminary, they are not tentative. Readers will find that each chapter offers concrete, actionable recommendations based on duly considered analysis. But more work lies ahead.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/irps/1000/thumbnail.jp
Book Review: Uncertain Warriors: The United States Army between the Cold War and the War on Terror
Full text linkAuthor: David Fitzgerald
Reviewed by John A. Nagl, professor of warfighting studies, US Army War College
In Uncertain Warriors: The United States Army Between the Cold War and the War on Terror, author David Fitzgerald looks at the US Army from Vietnam through Iraq, examining how the end of the Cold War, drawdowns, and ideas about cultural inclusion impacted the Army. Reviewer John Nagl recommends it for today’s Army leaders.
©2025 John A. Naglhttps://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters_bookshelf/1090/thumbnail.jp
Book Review: The Military Legacy of Alexander the Great: Lessons for the Information Age
Full text linkAuthor: Michael P. Ferguson and Ian Worthington
Reviewed by Jason W. Warren, PhD
The Military Legacy of Alexander the Great: Lessons for the Information Age focuses on three themes—inspirational physical presence, Alexander’s army’s professionalism, and the speed with which he campaigned. The reviewer notes there are many useful observations, overall, he sees the book as a “mixed bag.” For those newer to studies “on Alexander or lessons-learned methodology, Legacy may prove a useful primer.”https://press.armywarcollege.edu/parameters_bookshelf/1091/thumbnail.jp
Disinformation as Ground-Shifting in Great-Power Competition
Full text linkDisinformation, distinct from misinformation, replaces accepted principles of objectivity and verifiability with novelty, framing, authority, self-reference, and conformity to create a new “truth paradigm.” This article introduces a novel definition and framework for understanding disinformation as a strategic tool in great-power competition. It includes a review of case studies, such as Russian disinformation campaigns during the Russia-Ukraine War and analyzes cognitive biases and social behaviors that facilitate the spread of disinformation. Policy and military practitioners will find actionable insights into countering disinformation, including its sociopsychological mechanisms and proposed targeted counterstrategies to protect the integrity of information flows in defense and security contexts