Katharine Chorley’s Armies and the Art of Revolution is an overlooked masterpiece of military strategy.
She concludes that “ a rebellion cannot succeed in direct confrontation against the armed forces of the status quo government so long as these are not prevented by political or other reasons from realizing their full potential…insurrections [are] bound to fail against professional armed forces operating at full strength”.
Chorley buttresses her thesis with historical examples from the American Revolution through the Spanish Civil War. She also emphasizes the importance of defeat in war in making professional armies vulnerable to subversion, but this is a well-known fact. Theoreticians of revolution often overlook her main conclusion, however. They optimistically expect the armed forces to be swept aside by the people in arms. Not very likely.
The one real threat to the loyalty of an undefeated army is fraternization with disgruntled civilians. Chorley’s chapter on fraternization is essential reading for populist leaders who wish to make the army their friend, as well as for generals who want to keep their units professionally non-political. Chorley concludes with well-considered advice on reorganizing the armed forces to support the new revolutionary regime.
Armies and the Art of Revolution is the only major work of military strategy written by a woman. (The original 1943 edition listed ‘K. C. Chorley’ as author.) Since Chorley is an academic Marxist, what is even more remarkable is the readability of this book.
After its original publication, this book faded into obscurity, until its republication in 1973. Once again, it seems to have become little known. I think this is because Chorley is a woman writing in a male-dominated field, and because of her failure to embrace over-optimistic views of mass risings. “The people, united, will never be defeated!” Until the tanks arrive.
[Note: this book is not about regime change using the armed forces. For that, see Luttwak’s Coup d’État: a practical handbook.] ( )