Inflicting Surprise - Gaining Competitve Advantage in Great Power Conflicts

With the return of great power competition, the United States needs every advantage it can get over its adversaries. This CSIS report looks at how the U.S. might revitalize the old but overlooked tool of surprise to gain a strategic advantage in great power conflict.

List of contents

Executive Summary VI
1 | Setting the Stage-Why Inflicting Surprise Matters 1
2 | Surprise Today-An Overlooked Tool 10
3 | Historical Experiences with Inflicting Surprise 18
4 | Components of a Successful Surprise 40
5 | Adversary Vulnerabilities-China and Russia 48
6 | Revitalizing an Old Tool 54
Appendix A: Vingettes on Inflciting Surprise 71
Appendix B: Chinese Vulnerabilities 91
Appendix C: Russian Vulnerabilities 101
About the Author 113

About the author

Mark F. Cancian

Summary

With the return of great power competition, the United States needs every advantage it can get over its adversaries. This CSIS report looks at how the U.S. might revitalize the old but overlooked tool of surprise to gain a strategic advantage in great power conflict.

Product details

• Authors: Mark F. Cancian, Cancian Mark F.
• Publisher: Rowman and Littlefield
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 30.04.2021
• EAN: 9781538140277
• ISBN: 978-1-5381-4027-7
• No. of pages: 128
• Series: CSIS Reports
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; POLITICAL SCIENCE / Security (National & International), POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / Arms Control, Warfare & defence, Warfare and defence, Arms negotiation & control, Arms negotiation and control