Introduction: Types of Warfare
'The Twentieth Century has been 'without doubt the most murderous century of which we have record by the scale, frequency and length of the warfare which filled it'.
From Eric Hobsbawm, Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1994
From Eric Hobsbawm, Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century, 1994
Despite the contrasting differences between the 19th and the 20th Centuries, there was one major constant in the nature of warfare: all wars involve men (sometimes women e.g. USSR in WWII) fighting each other.
What changed?
What changed?
- Short vs. prolonged wars
- Intensity and ferocity
- Organisation/structure of fighting forces
- The way the war is fought:weapons, tactics, strategy, conventional vs. unconventional, war of movement vs. war of position
- The experiences of combatants (and civilians)
- The rules of the game (codes written or unwritten which limit violence)
- Outcomes – what determines who wins and who loses?
Tasks
Types of Warfare - Table.docx
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- Read Chapter 1 of the text History - 20th Century World: Causes, Practices & Effects of Wars ("Causes-Practices & Effects of War-Chapter1.pdf").
- Download and complete the following table below:
Types of Warfare - Table.docx
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3. Look at the following conflict map above and decide which category (total, limited, civil or guerrilla) each war would fit.
(Some wars can fit into more than one category.)
4. Complete the following table below:
Causes & Effects of Warfare - Key Terms.docx
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(Some wars can fit into more than one category.)
4. Complete the following table below:
Causes & Effects of Warfare - Key Terms.docx
Download File
To learn more about the more The Geneva Convention of 1949 and their Additional Protocols,
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Exam Questions
Paper 2: Topic 1 - Causes, Practices and Effects of War
May Exams
November Exams
Paper 2: Topic 1 - Causes, Practices and Effects of War
May Exams
- For what reasons, and with what results, was “limited” warfare a feature of the second half of the twentieth century? (May 2005 & 2007)
- “No twentieth century war could be called a limited war.” To what extent do you agree with this assertion? (May 2006)
- Define guerrilla warfare, and discuss its significance in two wars, each chosen from a different region. (TZ1 May 2009)
- Define limited war and explain to what extent one twentieth century war was a limited war. (TZ2 May 2009)
- “Many twentieth century wars had the characteristics of both a limited and a total war.” With reference to two wars explain to what extent you agree with this statement. (TZ1 May 2010)
- “Guerilla warfare was an important factor in achieving success in twentieth century wars.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? (TZ2 May 2010)
- Analyse the impact of guerilla warfare on the course and outcome of one twentieth century war. (TZ1 May 2011)
- With reference to one specific example, assess (a) the reasons for the use of guerrilla warfare, and (b) its effectiveness. (TZ2 May 2011)
- With reference to two examples, each chosen from a different region, assess the factors which helped and hindered successful guerrilla warfare. (TZ1 May 2012)
- “The success of guerrilla movements depends on the leader’s ability to maintain discipline and the support of their followers.” With reference to two guerrilla wars, assess the validity of this statement. (TZ2 May 2012)
November Exams
- With reference to specific examples, account for the adoption of guerrilla warfare and assess its effectiveness. (Nov 2006)
- Examine the reasons for, and the contribution of, guerrilla warfare to the outcome of one twentieth-century war. (Nov 2007)
- Define the term “limited war”. With reference to two wars, each chosen from a different region, explain why they remained limited. (Nov 2007)
- To what extent did outside intervention contribute to the outcome of two civil wars, each chosen from a different region? (Nov 2008)