Michael Collins: Founder of modern guerrilla warfare tactics

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Journal of Global Faultlines

Volume 8, Issue 2

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Michael Collins: Founder of modern guerrilla warfare tactics

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Author(s): Matthew Lynch

Publication date (Print): 1 October 2021

Journal: Journal of Global Faultlines

Publisher: Pluto Journals

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Abstract

This paper examines the foundations of contemporary guerrilla warfare tactics and associates these with the actions and operations of General Michael Collins and the Irish Volunteers throughout the War of Independence (1919–21). Through the critical analysis of archival documents from the War of Independence provided by the Irish Military Archives, the paper analyses the success and nature of these tactics in relation to the fundamental characteristics that are observed within guerrilla warfare. The paper draws comparisons with Vietnam (1955–75), Iraq (2003–11), and Afghanistan (2001–21), in the context of war against a strong hegemonic power.

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Author and article information

Contributors

Matthew Lynch

Journal

Journal ID (doi): 10.2307/j50018794

Journal ID (jcode): jglobfaul

Title: Journal of Global Faultlines

Publisher: Pluto Journals

ISSN: 2397-7825

ISSN: 2054-2089

Publication date (Print): 1 October 2021

Volume: 8

Issue: 2 ( doiID: 10.13169/jglobfaul.8.issue-2 )

Pages: 248-258

Affiliations

Matthew Lynch is a Birmingham City University graduate.

Article

Publisher ID: jglobfaul.8.2.0248

DOI: 10.13169/jglobfaul.8.2.0248

SO-VID: c5093ced-efeb-4713-95d4-fad956209af3

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All content is freely available without charge to users or their institutions. Users are allowed to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal without asking prior permission of the publisher or the author. Articles published in the journal are distributed under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

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ScienceOpen disciplines: Social & Behavioral Sciences

References

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Comments

Comment on this article

[1] Amnesty International (2015) “Afghanistan: Taliban Tactics Put Civilians in Harm's Way.” Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/09/afghanistan-taliban-tactics-put-civilians-in-harms-way/ernational (accessed January 2021).

[2] Anderson, M., Arnsten, M. & Averch, H. (1967) Insurgent Organization and Operations: A Case Study of the Viet Cong in the Delta, 1964–1966. Santa Monica, CA: Rand Corporation. Available at: https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_memoranda/2005/RM5239-1.pdf (accessed February 2021).

[3] Barry, M. (2019) “The Irish War of Independence as Seen by the International Press,” Irish Times, 3 January. Available at https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/the-irish-war-of-independence-as-seen-by-the-international-press-1.3728934 (accessed March 2021).

[4] Barry, T. (2020) Guerrilla Days in Ireland [television programme]. TG4, Republic of Ireland, 25 November, 51:47. Available at: https://www.tg4.ie/en/player/play/?pid=6211994202001 (accessed August 2021).

[5] Cavaleri, D. P. (2007) “The Premature Debut: The Introduction of Armored Fighting Vehicles and Tactics by the British Army during the September 1916 Somme Offensive,” Armor, 116 (2). Available at: https://go-gale-com.ezproxy.bcu.ac.uk/ps/i.do?p=AONE&u=uce&id=GALE|A162103028&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon (accessed February 2021).

[6] Chung, P. T. (1969) Viet Cong Strategy and Tactics. Ohio: Air Force Systems Command. Available at: https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/682840.pdf (accessed March 2021).

[7] Coleman, M. (2014) The Irish Revolution, 1916–1923. Abingdon: Routledge.

[8] Collins, L. (2019) Ireland's War of Independence 1919–21: The IRA's Guerrilla Campaign. Dublin: O'Brien Press.

[9] Collins, M. (1922) The Path to Freedom. Cardiff: Welsh Academic Press

[10] Cowles, V. (2016) The Phantom Major: The Story of David Stirling and the SAS Regiment. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books.

[11] Crawford, G. (2003) “Information Warfare: New Roles for Information Systems in Military Operations,” Air and Space Power Journal, 15. Available at: https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/ASPJ/journals/Chronicles/crawford.pdf#:~:text=Information%20Warfare:%20New%20Roles%20for%20Information%20Systems%20in,the%20acme%20of%20skill.%20-%20Sun%20Tzu%20Introduction (accessed March 2021).

[12] Dotson, P. B. (2016) “The Successes and Failures of the Battle of Mogadishu and its Effects on U.S. Foreign Policy,” Channels: Where Disciplines Meet, 1(1). Available at: https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=channels (accessed January 2021).

[13] Elek, D. (1994) Unconventional Warfare and the Principles of War. Arlington, VA: United States Marine Corps. Available at: https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a529070.pdf (accessed January 2021).

[14] Foy, M. (2006) Michael Collins's Intelligence War: The Struggle between the British and the IRA, 1919–1921. Stroud: History Press.

[15] Guenter, L. (1980) America in Vietnam. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[16] Guevara, C. (1969) Guerrilla Warfare. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.

[17] Hamourtziadou, L. (2016) “Besieged: Living and Dying in Fallujah.” Available at: https://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/beyond/besieged_fallujah/ (accessed July 2021).

[18] Hamourtziadou, L. (2021) Body Count: The War on Terror and Civilian Deaths in Iraq. Bristol: Bristol University Press.

[19] Hopkinson, M. (2002) The Irish War of Independence. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan Ltd.

[20] Intelligence Officer (1919–21) “J File Auxiliary Div. R.I.C.” [manuscript]. The Collins Papers, IE/MA/CP/5/1/16. Irish Military Archives, Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin.

[21] Irish Volunteers Commemorative Organisation (2012) “Tom Barry.” Available at: https://irishvolunteers.org/tom-barry/ (accessed March 2021).

[22] Kiras, J. D. (2016) “The Historical Practice of Guerrilla Warfare,” in D. Jordan, J. D. Kiras, D. J. Lonsdale, I. Speller, C. Tuck, and C. Dale Walton (eds.) Understanding Modern Warfare (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 319–343.

[23] McKenna, J. (2011) Guerrilla Warfare in the Irish War of Independence, 1919–1921. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BxLb0aZOFOMC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=intelligence+in+the+irish+war+of+independence&ots=ciNzRsEymN&sig=86EdPDQHFtPy1mvVXnTWA0SdX1E&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=intelligence%20in%20the%20irish%20war%20of%20independence&f=false (accessed March 2021).

[24] Nojumi, N (2002) The Rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan: Mass Mobilization, Civil War and the Future of the Region. New York: Palgrave. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=h18YDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=%22ambushes%22+in+afghanistan&ots=Ozl8yRiA1E&sig=eg_giySFbio5cLghJgVArV7_LhA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22ambushes%22%20in%20afghanistan&f=false (accessed March 2021).

[25] Óglaigh na hÉireann (n.d.) “IRA 2nd Northern Division.” [Manuscript]. The Collins Papers, IE/MA/CP/4/7. Irish Military Archives, Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin.

[26] Proclamation of the Irish Republic (1867) Available at: https://ansionnachfionn.com/poblachtach-republican/proclamation-of-the-irish-republic-1867/ (accessed July 2021).

[27] Raidió Teilifís Éireann (2007) “Get Collins: The Intelligence War for Dublin.” YouTube. Available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-VPHR2jyLw (accessed January 2021).

[28] Raidió Teilifís Éireann (2010) “Ireland's Greatest: Michael Collins.” YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV2gzXhz8o8 (accessed December 2020).

[29] Strachan, H. (2019) “Learning Lessons from Afghanistan: Two Imperatives,” US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters, 49. Available at: https://press.armywarcollege.edu/cgi/view-content.cgi?article=2770&context=parameters (accessed February 2021).

[30] Townshend, C. (1983) Political Violence in Ireland: Government and Resistance since 1848. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[31] Tse-Tung, M. (1937) On Guerrilla Warfare. Tr. Samuel Griffith. New York: Dover Publications. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=jKoqAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=on+guerrilla+warfare&ots=GB2GDJTSan&sig=siElSwtV-s_jkbbZrDazko7BTfY#v=onepage&q=on%20guerrilla%20warfare&f=false (accessed November 2020).

[32] Valiulis, M. G. (1992) Portrait of a Revolutionary General Richard Mulcahy and the founding of the Irish Free State. Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky