Types of Warfare

Cold War

• A geopolitical standoff between nations
• Absence of direct military engagement
• Strategies: economic and political maneuvers, propaganda, espionage, proxy wars
• Example: American-Soviet Cold War (1947-1989)

Colonial War

• Armed conflicts between colonial powers and indigenous populations or rival colonial entities
• Motivated by economic interests and territorial expansion

Invasion

• Large-scale military offensive
• Combatants forcefully enter territory controlled by another
• Aims: conquer, liberate, reestablish control

Conventional Warfare

• Organized state armies engaged in open confrontation
• Use of traditional weapons and tactics
• Clearly defined forces on each side
• Targets opponent’s military
• Adheres to recognized rules of engagement

Unconventional Warfare

• Non-traditional military strategies by irregular forces
• Tactics: guerrilla warfare, insurgency, asymmetric approaches
• Aims to exploit weaknesses of a stronger adversary

Total War

• Involves all resources and infrastructure as legitimate military targets
• Society is mobilized to prioritize warfare over non-combatant needs

Limited War

• Specific goals with restricted weapon use and tactics
• Avoids widespread destruction and escalation

Nuclear War

• Use of nuclear weapons
• Devastating explosions and long-term radiation effects

Undeclared War

• Military conflict without a formal declaration of war

World War

• Large-scale conflicts involving multiple nations or regions
• Complex global alliances
• Significant geopolitical shifts and global consequences
• Examples: World War I and World War II

Chemical War

• Use of toxic chemicals to harm or kill humans, animals, or the environment

Biological War

• Use of biological agents (bacteria, viruses) to cause illness or death

Electronic War

• Use of electromagnetic signals for tactical advantage
• Activities: jamming communications, intercepting signals, disrupting radar systems

Information War

• Manipulating information for strategic advantage
• Techniques: cyber attacks, propaganda, psychological operations

Guerrilla Warfare

• Small, mobile, flexible groups use tactics like ambushes, hit-and-run attacks, sabotage
• Employed by weaker forces against conventional power

War of Liberation

• Fights to free from oppression, occupation, or foreign control
• Aims: independence and self-determination

Space War

• Military force in outer space
• Activities: satellite attacks, anti-satellite weapons, strategic conflict over positions

Psychological War

• Tactics to influence thoughts, emotions, behaviors
• Aims to manipulate perceptions and create confusion

Proxy War

• External powers support rival factions within a country
• Indirect approach to advance interests without direct military confrontation

Faultline War

• Conflict from ethnic, religious, or cultural divisions
• Tension among groups seeking identity or control

Civil War

• Armed conflict within a country
• Driven by political, ideological, or socioeconomic divisions

Range War

• Control of open range for cattle grazing
• Clashes over water, grazing rights, and cattle ownership

Economic War

• Nations use economic measures as conflict tools
• Tactics: sanctions, trade restrictions, financial manipulation

Religious War

• Motivated by religious differences or ideologies
• Hostilities between groups of different faiths seeking to assert beliefs

Political War

• Uses diplomatic, informational, military, economic means to influence

War of Attrition

• Objective: wear down the enemy's strength and resources
• Prolonged engagements

Asymmetric War

• Parties exhibit substantial disparities in power, strategy, or tactics
• Often involves irregular forces vs. established armies

Expeditionary War

• Military operations abroad
• Combat or peacekeeping missions

Hybrid War

• Combines conventional and unconventional tactics
• Includes non-state actors and diverse methods

Cyber War

• Digital tactics to disrupt or damage adversaries' computer systems
• Activities: cyber attacks, hacking, electronic manipulation

Entomological War

• Use of insects as military weapons
• Aims: spread diseases, disrupt agriculture, cause harm