how can a western nation like the USA defeat a guerrila war? there are extremes of ultra cruelty to scare people into submission, or extreme shows of good will in the face of danger to win "hearts and minds"
but what works to crush an insurgency? im not talking about the most ethical or internationally legal way, but the most effective.
any ideas?

ultra cruelty doent work... ever, for example: the nanjing masscre fueled more resistance

Be good ot the people helps, but agnist a strong nationlstic country, it is also useless

the only thing is not to invade that country

we've been teaching guerilla warfare to all of the countries that are using it against us so you'd think we'd know how to counter it right? well it doesn't help that we've inspired those other countries by showing them that using these guerilla tactics they can defeat a mighty super power like the soviets in afghanistan.

i know it's probably been mentioned numerous times before, but i'll mention it again. check out Guerilla Warfare: Che Guevara by Ernesto Guevara. That book is practically a "bible" to most modern terrorists. it goes over everything on how to defeat an enemy that is superior to you. it's simple stuff like using your weaknesses as your strengths. since you're small, and he's big, he doesn't have the mobility you do, and he is always exposed. but the US has read the same books and we're using SF to counter them. by using SF in small groups we are no longer limited in mobility, and can actually move faster than they do.

btw mods, have i crossed the line? i don't want to say anything that i have no first hand experience with and i was general about what i said. simple commen sense stuff almost.

hearts and minds operations
its the only way to beat the guerillas
the SAS have had some very successful operations using H&M operations to counter insurgents. Malaya, Borneo, Dhofar (Ghost Force,1998, Ken Connor, Cassell paperbacks)

you need to make it so the civilian population see the guerillas as bad and do not support them in any way, be it providing them with shelter or food or anything.
do to this you can do two things, be more fearful than the guerillas or you can show the civs that you have something to offer them and that working with you will have direct benefits for them, be it weapons training, food, medical supplies
you cannot use conventional warfare or mainstream forces to beat guerillas, as the common soldier does not have the skills or the knowledge required to fight the insurgents. you can try saturating the area in question with forces, but that wont necessarily solve the problem as you can be seen as the intruders.
also you cannot expect a quick,easy victory, you must be prepared to take the time and "do it right" as i said, heart and mind ops are the best way to beat insurgents, and those sorts of operations are not overnight successes, you need to take time and bulid up relationships with the locals, which, despite what we are taught, you cant buy friends, you need to actually prove your worth to them

Originally Posted by Field Marshal DJ

ultra cruelty doent work... ever, for example: the nanjing masscre fueled more resistance

Be good ot the people helps, but agnist a strong nationlstic country, it is also useless

the only thing is not to invade that country

I agree. Guerilla warfare or in more official terms "unsymmetric warfare" rocks, specially with troops trained guerilla warfare.

YOU CANT!!

Unless you win the hearts of the locals, you will never win guerrila wars. It's always better to win the hearts than to win the fights.

Michael Collins was born on 16th Oct 1890 at a place called Sam's Cross outside Clonakilty, Co Cork. he took part in the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin. In 1921 Collins was a signatory to a Treaty bring to an end the war between Britain & Ireland. This treaty was not to the liking of all Irishmen and a civil war broke out. Collins had said at the signing "I may have signed my actual death warrant".". He was killed in an ambush at Beal na mBlath in County Cork on the 22nd August 1922. Prior to the treaty Collins was responsible for organising resistance to British rule in Ireland. His tactics are said to be the basis for all Guerrilla warfare.

Originally Posted by Zyca

Unless you win the hearts of the locals, you will never win guerrila wars. It's always better to win the hearts than to win the fights.

Like Field marshal DJ said, if locals are nationalistic and think you an invader, you can't win their hearts because you are enemy anyway. Only favor you can do for them is to die, and that is the right attitude.

Invader is always an invading enemy and all local people who cooperates with invader is a traitor and should be punished by death by other locals and guerillas. Citizen serves his country, not fails it.

Basically you shouldn't be in there long enough for guerilla war to take place. Basically smash everything, get out, and let their crippled state do the work for you.