Bill MacKenty

The changing nature of conflict in an era of drones

I am an amateur historian, and have found a thoughtful analysis entitled "UKRAINE AND THE PROBLEM OF
RESTORING MANEUVER IN CONTEMPORARY WAR". I have been quite curious how drones have been used to the east...

Here is a local copy of the analysis and here is the external link to Institute for the Study of War

The analysis begins with a comparison of the Spanish Civil War and WW2; that lessons from the first greatly informed the execution of the later. A major thesis is that "the challenge of restoring operational maneuver to war remains the central problem for both sides [Ukranian and Russian] in this conflict".

The problem with positional warfare is that it leads to stalemate and attrition; it often leads to a prolonged stalemate, where neither side can gain a decisive advantage. This can result in a war of attrition, where victory is determined by which side can sustain losses longer. Such warfare is costly in terms of human lives, resources, and morale.

There is so much more in this article, as a historian, I appreciate the parallels drawn between past conflicts (the section about the battle of the bulge was especially interesting) and this current one. I recommend the study of this analysis.