Holly’s Reviews > Why America Loses Wars: Limited War and US Strategy from the Korean War to the Present > Status Update

The goal of war is to achieve a stable peace. Planning for the end of war needs to be as extensive as planning for the war itself. When a peace negotiation is settled, governments must also consider how it will be enforced and who will hold the signatories accountable for its execution.

Ending a war is almost always about negotiating a settlement.

“Getting to Yes”…must understand what each party actually wants and look for areas of common interest regardless of how small.

Counter insurgency

Any government can be helped except one that doesn’t know how to govern.

Will the people support the government? If not, give up.

Conversely, what is your adversary’s objective and what resources are they willing to expend to achieve their objectives?

Lack of a political objective and then a failure to prioritize the importance (ie how much are we willing to give) of achieving the objective.

Terminology:
Total vs limited war
Preemptive vs preventive
Declared or not