Other People's Wars: The US Military and the Challenge of Learning from Foreign Conflicts

by Brent L. Sterling

Case studies explore how to improve military adaptation and preparedness in peacetime by investigating foreign wars

Preparing for the next war at an unknown date against an undetermined opponent is a difficult undertaking with extremely high stakes. Even the most detailed exercises and wargames do not truly simulate combat and the fog of war. Thus, outside of their own combat, militaries have studied foreign wars as a valuable source of battlefield information. The effectiveness of this learning process, however, has rarely been evaluated across different periods and contexts.

Through a series of in-depth case studies of the US Army, Navy, and Air Force, Brent L. Sterling creates a better understanding of the dynamics of learning from “other people’s wars,” determining what types of knowledge can be gained from foreign wars, identifying common pitfalls, and proposing solutions to maximize the benefits for doctrine, organization, training, and equipment.

Other People’s Wars explores major US efforts involving direct observation missions and post-conflict investigations at key junctures for the US armed forces: the Crimean War (1854–56), Russo-Japanese War (1904–5), Spanish Civil War (1936–39), and Yom Kippur War (1973), which preceded the US Civil War, First and Second World Wars, and major army and air force reforms of the 1970s, respectively. The case studies identify learning pitfalls but also show that initiatives to learn from other nations’ wars can yield significant benefits if the right conditions are met. Sterling puts forth a process that emphasizes comprehensive qualitative learning to foster better military preparedness and adaptability.

Genres: War, History, Military Fiction, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2021

Reviews

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this one up because I saw a senior leader from the US Army Combined Arms Center was reading it. It did not disappoint and I recommend it for military professionals. Gives a great historical perspective about seeking others’ lessons learned in combat while highlighting the pitfalls falls of seeking data to reinforce a leader’s cognitive bias.

[Dennis Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other People's Wars: The US Military and the Challenge of Learning from Foreign Conflicts by Brent Sterling is a collection of four case studies where members of the US defense establishment observed foreign conflicts and sought to develop key takeaways to understand current and future conflict. I have to say that I appreciated this book more than I enjoyed it, as it helps expand the accessible materials on how the US approached and understood foreign conflicts. There are some details that are rather insightful and worth taking away, but the there were times where I honestly didn't know if some of the details conveyed were important, or if Sterling felt like his book needed to be a certain length and required some padding. Yom Kippur and the Russo-Japanese war were among the more useful for me, but the Spanish Civil War was fairly interesting and I imagine others would find it the most important. The only other was Crimea, and it was clear this was the growing pains chapter as it was perhaps the first time there was enough data to write a case study about the US observing a foreign conflict.

I'd pair it with a couple other books in this space. Useful for military historians and security studies wonks, but of less utility for others.

[Seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sterling does a great job balancing examination of his central question (how the US military learned from foreign conflicts) with providing enough historic context for the reader to make sense of the analysis regardless of background. As a result, beyond the book's premise I found myself learning about the four conflicts that make up the case studies and the institutional development of the US military.

[Chase Metcalf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author provides an insightful analysis of the US militaries efforts to learn from wars of others. By exploring a number of case studies beginning with the Crimean war and ending with the 19733 Yom Kippur war he highlights the challenges and opportunities with studying foreign conflicts. A worthwhile read for anyone interested in how militaries can learn from others wars a d the challenges of overcoming institutional bias in implementing lessons.

[Jerome · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read