Series: Key Thinkers in Guerrilla Warfare
Any study of resistance and irregular warfare should begin with understanding the big three thinkers in guerrilla warfare. The following posts contain a brief overview and a comprehensive list of resources for further research covering these core resistance concepts.
Mao Zedong
Maoist guerrilla warfare centers on protracted people’s war—mobilizing the peasantry through a phased insurgency that moves from guerrilla resistance to conventional force. It fuses political control with armed struggle, making revolution both a strategy and a doctrine.
T.E. Lawrence
An Overview of T.E. Lawrence’s Theory of Guerrilla Warfare
T.E. Lawrence’s guerrilla theory emphasized decentralized warfare, mobility, and the use of terrain and local support to harass and exhaust a superior enemy. His approach framed insurgency as psychological disruption, not territorial conquest.
Che Guevara
An Overview of Che Guevara’s Theory of Guerrilla Warfare
Che Guevara’s guerrilla warfare theory centers on the foco—small, fast-moving rural units that ignite popular uprisings through armed example. He viewed guerrilla action as the catalyst for revolution, even in the absence of preexisting conditions.
Series: Understanding Social Dynamics
Social dynamics are the source code of resistance movements. They include social movement theory, theory of mobilization, and social network theory. These core resistance concepts will provide a solid foundation for understanding how resistance develops and evolves. The following posts contain a brief overview and a comprehensive list of resources for further research.
Social Movement Theory
Top 10 concepts to understand social movement theory.
Social movement theory explores how ordinary people mobilize collective action to challenge power, reshape norms, and drive political or cultural change. It connects strategy, identity, and opportunity into the anatomy of organized resistance.
Resistance Mobilization
Factors Affecting Resistance Mobilization
Mobilization theory examines how individuals join collective action based on perceived costs, thresholds, and structural opportunities. It accounts for barriers to participation, the role of social networks, and how repression can both deter and accelerate mobilization in cyclical patterns.
Understanding Human Networks
Human and social network theory analyzes how individuals are connected through relationships that shape information flow, influence, and resource access. It reveals how network structure—such as centrality, density, and bridging ties—affects the resilience, reach, and vulnerability of movements and organizations.
Series: The Guerrilla Tactical Triad
The employment of guerrilla warfare requires a foundational understanding of the guerrilla tactical triad. A guerrilla force’s three core tactical tasks are the raid, ambush, and reconnaissance. This series examines the concepts individually, identifies thought leaders, and provides historical examples of their application, success, and failure.
Raid
Core Concepts of The Guerrilla Raid
A raid is a swift, targeted attack designed to inflict damage, gather intelligence, or seize assets, then withdraw before the enemy can respond. It prioritizes surprise, speed, and psychological impact over territorial control.
Ambush
Core Concepts of the Guerrilla Ambush
An ambush is the deliberate use of concealment and timing to strike an unsuspecting enemy at a vulnerable point. It relies on preparation, terrain advantage, and shock to neutralize a superior force.
Recon
Core Concepts of Guerrilla Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the systematic collection of information on enemy positions, movements, and capabilities. It enables decision-making by reducing uncertainty and shaping the battlefield in advance.
Series: The Resistance Tactical Triad
The underground and auxiliary components of a resistance movement practice subtler arts than their guerrilla counterparts. Sabotage, subversion, and espionage are considerably more feasible, acceptable, and suitable tools in occupied or hostile territory.
Sabotage
A History of Sabotage in Warfare
Understanding Sabotage: A Primer
Sabotage is the deliberate destruction or degradation of enemy capabilities, targeting infrastructure, equipment, or processes to disrupt operations without direct confrontation. It exploits asymmetry to deny, delay, or disable.
Subversion
The Art and Theory of Subversion: A Primer
Subversion undermines the legitimacy or cohesion of a state or institution from within. It targets beliefs, loyalties, and systems of control to erode authority and shift allegiance.
Espionage
The Use of Espionage by Resistance Movements
Espionage is the covert collection of sensitive information, often from within hostile or denied environments. It enables strategic advantage through access, deception, and long-term penetration.
Related Disciplines
Counterinsurgency
Key Thinkers in Counterinsurgency
Counterinsurgency (COIN) is the integrated application of political, military, economic, and informational tools to defeat insurgent movements and win population support. It emphasizes legitimacy, control of territory, and disruption of rebel networks over purely kinetic solutions.
Influence
The Godfather of Influence: Edward Bernays
Influence is the ability to shape perceptions, behaviors, or decisions through persuasion, credibility, or control of information. In conflict and competition, it is a strategic asset used to gain an advantage without direct force.
International Law
Legal Considerations In Irregular Warfare
International law defines the boundaries of legitimacy in resistance and irregular warfare, balancing the rights of peoples to self-determination with state sovereignty and humanitarian protections. It governs the conduct of hostilities, treatment of civilians, and accountability for abuses, framing both resistance and repression within a legal and moral framework.
If you think we left out any key ideas about resistance, tell us in the comments, and we’ll add them to the list.
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