Small Wars Manual

by U.S. Marine Corps

Filled with once-classified material, this original Marine Corps' manual offers an inside look at the way the Marines operated at the dawn of World War II. It covers the ranking of each position, the rules of interacting with civilians, the strategies for combat, the importance of aviation, the tactics of river operations, the disarmament of populations, and the policies for troop withdrawal. There' s also a breakdown of equipment, a detailed account of the training regimen, and the steps for setting up a military government in a war zone. Still considered part of a Marine' s preparation, it' s distributed wherever America is involved in a small war.

Genres: Military Fiction, War, History, Nonfiction, Military History, Reference

Paperback

First published January 1, 1940

About the author

The U.S. Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States. In the civilian leadership structure of the United States military, the Marine Corps is a component of the United States Department of the Navy, often working closely with U.S. naval forces for training, transportation, and logistic purposes; however, in the military leadership structure the Marine Corps is a separate branch.

Reviews

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

During the first half of the twentith century, The United States Marine Corps was involved in many small wars and police actions. This is a reprint of the 1940 Marine Corps manual on planning and conducting the wars. It includes all phases including strategy, tactics, and logistics as well as post action conduct. Much is still pertinent today.

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's interesting how this was re-discovered during the current COIN fight. Unfortunately, it seems to be one of those books that everyone talks about, but nobody reads. I'm not a Disciple of the current COIN theories, especially as it seems we are not committed to the strategy. However, this manual has a lot to teach us in dealing with the COE. Allowing the Taliban a) a readily available sanctuary, and b) a readily identifiably corrupt target (Afghan govt.) already violates some of the fundamentals found in this manual.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic text on military intervention. Large parts are outdated, but still make for interesting reading (e.g. care and feeding of mule trains).