Civilian-Based Defense: A Post-Military Weapons System

by Gene Sharp

"Two things are certain about the future of politics and international relations," writes Gene Sharp. "Conflict is inevitable, and effective defense will be required against internal usurpers and international aggressors." The crucial issue is how to deter and defend against such attacks. Sharp has been called the "Clausewitz of nonviolent warfare" and has been a leading pioneer in developing of civilian-based defense. This book applies the results of his studies on nonviolent struggle to the problems of deterrence and defense. For the general public and policymakers, it explains how massive and selective noncooperation and defiance by a country's population and institutions can deny attackers their objectives without the dangers of modern war.
Sharp discusses several prototypical cases of improvised nonviolent noncooperation and defiance against occupations and coups. He explores the strategies of prepared civilian-based defense and the ways "transarmament"--or the changeover from military defense systems--could be conducted. He also surveys the efforts of a few European countries to integrate small nonviolent resistance components into their predominantly military defense policies. Rather than treating nonviolent ethical systems, the author focuses on the practicalities of the further development of a "nonviolent weapons system."

Genres: Politics

173 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1990

About the author

Gene Sharp was an American political scientist. He was the founder of the Albert Einstein Institution, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the study of nonviolent action, and professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He was known for his extensive writings on nonviolent struggle, which have influenced numerous anti-government resistance movements around the world.
Sharp received the 2008 Int’l Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award for his lifelong commitment to the defense of freedom, democracy, and the reduction of political violence through scholarly analysis of the power of nonviolent action. Unofficial sources have claimed that Sharp was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015, and had previously been nominated three times, in 2009, 2012 and 2013. Sharp was widely considered the favorite for the 2012 award. In 2011, he was awarded the El-Hibri Peace Education Prize. In 2012, he was a recipient of the Right Livelihood Award for "developing and articulating the core principles and strategies of nonviolent resistance and supporting their practical implementation in conflict areas around the world".