Guerrilla warfare is essentially political war . It is waged by civilians who are not members of a traditional military unit, such as a nation’s standing army or police force. In many cases, guerrilla combatants are fighting to overthrow or weaken a ruling government or regime. This type of warfare is typified by sabotage, ambushes, and surprise raids on unsuspecting military targets. Often fighting in their own homeland, guerrilla combatants (also referred to as rebels or insurgents) use their familiarity with the local landscape and terrain to their advantage. The use of guerrilla warfare was first suggested in the 6th century BC by Chinese general and strategist Sub Tazu , in his classic book, The Art of War. In 217 BC, Roman Dictator Quintus Fabius Maximus, often called the “father of guerrilla warfare,” used his Fabian strategy” to defeat the mighty invading army of Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca. In the early 19th century, citizens of Spain and Portugal used guerrilla tactics to defeat Napolean`s superior French army in the Panninsular war. More recently, guerrilla fighters led by Che Guevra assisted Fidel Castro in overthrowing Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista during the Cuban Revolution of 1952. Largely due to its use by leaders like Mao zedong in China and Ho chi Minh in North Vietnam, guerrilla warfare is generally thought of in the West only as a tactic of communism
Legal Aspects. Guerrilla warfare is bound by the rules of the Geneva Conventions as much as is conventional warfare. As outlined in appropriate international agreements and FM 27-10, four important factors give a guerrilla legal status:
(1) be commanded by a person responsible for the actions of his subordinates;
(2) wear a fixed and distinctive insignia or sign recognizable at a distance;
(3) conduct operations in accordance with the laws and customs of war; and
(4) carry arms openly. If these four factors ire present, the guerrilla is entitled to the same treatment from his captors as the regular soldier.
Offensive tactics. The basis of successful guerrilla combat is offensive action combined with surprise. During periods of low visibility, the guerrilla attacks, tries to gain a momentary advantage of firepower, executes his mission to capture or destroy personnel and equipment, and leaves the scene of action as rapidly as possible. Normally, the guerrilla does not consistently operate in one area but varies his operations so that no pattern is evident. If possible, he strikes two or three targets simultaneously to divide the enemy pursuit and reinforcement effort.
Defensive tactics. Protective surveillance for the guerrilla is usually very good; he has civilian non-combatants providing him with information on enemy garrisons, troop movements, and counter, guerrilla activities. This advance warning gives the guerrilla time for proper countermeasures. If, in any counter guerrilla move by a superior enemy, the guerrillas are threatened or encircled, they do not meet him on a showdown basis, but withdraw, disperse or attempt a breakoutGuerrilla warfare is generally considered a war motivated by politics—a desperate struggle of common people to right the wrongs done to them by an oppressive regime that rules by military force and intimidation.
History, however, has shown that public perception of guerrillas as heroes or villains depends on their tactics and motivations. While many guerrillas have fought to secure basic human rights, some have initiated unjustified violence, even using terrorist tactics against other civilians who refuse to join their cause.
For example, in Northern Ireland during the late 1960s, a civilian group calling itself the Irish Republican Army (IRA) conducted a series of attacks against British security forces and public establishments in the country, as well as Irish citizens who they believed to be loyal to British Crown. Characterized by tactics such as indiscriminate bombings, often taking the lives of uninvolved civilians, the IRA’s attacks were described as acts of terrorism by both the media and the British government. Throughout history, evolving cultural ideologies such as liberty, equality, nationalism , socialism , and religious fundamentalism have motivated groups of people to employ guerrilla warfare tactics in efforts to overcome real or imagined oppression and persecution at the hands of a ruling government or foreign invaders.
When asked what motivates guerrilla warfare, Cuban Revolution leader Che Guevara gave this famous response:
“Why does the guerrilla fighter fight? We must come to the inevitable conclusion that the guerrilla fighter is a social reformer, that he takes up arms responding to the angry protest of the people against their oppressors, and that he fights in order to change the social system that keeps all his unarmed brothers in ignominy and misery.”
Cuban revolution leader che Guevara
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