The chapter "Contemporary Strategic Thinkers" focuses on the work of several key

military strategists in the likes of B.H Liddell-Hart, Carl von Clausewitz, Andre’
Beaufre, and others. Below are some of their dictums as highlighted in the chapter.

Carl Von Clausewitz (1780-8031)

Clausewitz was of the opinion that, strategy is about using battles to achieve the
goals of the war. It's like making a plan for the entire war and connecting all the
actions that lead to the final decision. Strategy is concerned with the war as a
whole, while tactics is about using military forces in combat. The only issue with
Clausewitz's definition is that he sees battles as the only way to strategize.

B.H. Liddell-Hart (1895-1970)

According to the chapter, B.H. Liddell-Hart talked about the different levels of
strategy. He defines military strategy as the art of using military means to
achieve policy goals. Tactics is the actual fighting, while grand strategy
coordinates all resources to achieve the political objectives of a war. Grand
strategy looks beyond the war to the future state of peace. It considers economic,
moral, and diplomatic factors to weaken the opponent's will. It's like a big
picture approach to achieving victory.

Andre’ Beaufre (1901-1975)

Beaufre sees strategy as selecting the best course of action for a given situation.
It's about resolving disputes through the dialectic of opposing wills using force.
He distinguishes different levels of strategy, including total strategy and
operational strategy. Beaufre's definition of strategy is influenced by the
changing nature of international conflict, with a shift from traditional clashes to
more subtle and indirect means. This change is attributed to nuclear arms and
decolonization. These reduced responses have become so subtle that they may not be
recognized as aspects of war.

Non military form of coercion/Conflict

Nonmilitary conflict involves using economic or diplomatic means to coerce another
state. The congress system and organizations like the League of Nations and the
United Nations aimed to keep peace through similar methods. NATO has been more
successful in enforcing peace since 1949.

The chapter also highlighted the kinds of war to include, Revolutionary, Unlimited
war, internal war etc. Also the consequences of war.

The centrality of war as an instrument of strategy and policy.

This points at the fact that, When diplomacy fails, governments may resort to armed
force as a strategy to enforce their interests. War is seen as a continuation of
policy by other means. It involves using force to seize objectives or pressure
adversaries to negotiate. War is a deliberate policy to achieve political goals.

Leaders calculate the expected utility before declaring war, considering factors
like winning probabilities and assistance. Wars can have simple or complex goals,
affecting their resolution. War is a planned strategy for political objectives.
Emotions and instincts can lead to war, but since 1945, there has been a decrease
in war occurrences.

Causes of War.
Wars can be caused by individual, nation-state, and international factors such as
psychological factors, foreign policy behavior, power shifts, alliances, and
military technology.

Revolutionary Warfare.
Revolutionary wars aim to change the status quo and can be influenced by Marxist or
Maoist ideologies. Limited wars and guerrilla warfare are also strategies used in
revolutionary movements.
Counterinsurgency strategies involve combat in rugged terrain and targeting
guerrilla sanctuaries with the support of civilians. Terrorism involves using
violence for political purposes, often disregarding rules and causing fear.

Conclusion
In this chapter, we explored the ideas and perspectives of modern strategic
thinkers. We discussed revolutionary warfare, counterinsurgency strategies, and the
concept of terrorism. It's fascinating to see how these thinkers have shaped our
understanding of warfare and conflict in today's world. By studying their theories
and strategies, we can gain valuable insights into the complex nature of
contemporary strategic thinking.