1. (U) The Evolution of Warfare
UNCLASSIFIED
(U) The Evolution of Warfare
The overall classification of this brief is: UNCLASSIFIED
Fred P. Ruonavar
Chief, Mission Assurance Division
May 2019
UNCLASSIFIED
UNITED IN SERVICE TO OUR NATION

2. Why we do what we do… Global Reach Size of the Active Force
1.4 Million
Deployed Operations
130K(+) Troops
150(+) countries
Warfighting
Domains
Land
Maritime
Air & Space
Cyber
Partner Nations
60(+) Allies
180(+) Partnerships 2

3. Industrial Revolutions and Generations of Warfare
1st Industrial Revolution – “Mechanical Production” ( )
James Watt and his steam engine
Coal, iron, railroads, telegraph, modern factory, electric generator, photography
2nd Industrial Revolution – “Science Mass Production” (1870 – 1914)
Development of the steel industry and giant corporations
Electricity, petroleum, gasoline engines, airplanes, chemical fertilizer
3rd Industrial Revolution – “Digital Revolution” (1950s – 2000)
Semiconductors, mainframe computing, transistors, microprocessors, personal computing, and the Internet
Nuclear technology, energy, and weapons 
High-level automation in production thanks to two major inventions: automatons—programmable logic controllers (PLC)—and robots.
4th Industrial Revolution – “Cyber-physical Systems” (2000 – ?)
Social media and mobility
The Internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI)
Cloud and Quantum computing
“Big Data” storage and processing
1st Generation – “Post-classical” (1648 – 1860)
Massed manpower using line and column tactics
Traditionally called “Napoleonic Warfare”
2nd Generation – “Early Modern” (1870 – 1920)
Massed firepower: automatic weapons and artillery fire
Objective: Attrition of military forces (linear)
3rd Generation – “Late Modern” (1930 – 2000)
Technology-driven tactics leveraging speed, stealth, and surprise; bypass enemy lines, collapse forces from rear
Traditionally called “Maneuver Warfare” (non-linear)
Transitioned to nuclear stalemate—“Cold War”
Objective: Annihilation of military forces
4th Generation – “Post Modern” (2000 – Present)
Decentralized forms of warfare, blurring lines between war and politics, combatants and civilians due to nation states’ loss of their near-monopoly on combat forces
Objective: Coercion of popular support 3

4. 1st Industrial Revolution and 1st Generation Warfare
1st Industrial Revolution ( ) “The Age of Mechanical Production”
James Watt and the steam engine
Coal, iron, railroads, textiles, telegraph, modern factory, electric generator, photography
1st Generation Warfare (1648 – 1860)
“Post-classical”
Traditionally called “Napoleonic Warfare”
Massed manpower using line and column tactics
Primarily smooth bore muskets with limited use of rifles
Encyclopædia Britannica: 4

5. 1st Industrial Revolution and 1st Generation Warfare
1st Industrial Revolution ( ) “The Age of Mechanical Production”
James Watt and the steam engine
Coal, iron, railroads, textiles, telegraph, modern factory, electric generator, photography
1st Generation Warfare (1648 – 1860)
“Post-classical”
Traditionally called “Napoleonic Warfare”
Massed manpower using line and column tactics
Primarily smooth bore muskets with limited use of rifles
Land and Maritime
Domains of Warfare
Encyclopædia Britannica: 5

6. 2nd Industrial Revolution and 2nd Generation Warfare
2nd Industrial Revolution (1870 – 1914) “The Age of Science and Mass Production”
Development of the steel industry and giant corporations
Electricity, petroleum, gasoline engines, airplanes, chemical fertilizer
2nd Generation (1870 – 1920)
“Early Modern”
Traditionally called “Trench Warfare” (linear)
Massed firepower: automatic weapons and artillery fire
Airpower and Steel battleships—“Dreadnaughts”
Objective: Attrition of military forces
Study.com: 6

7. 2nd Industrial Revolution and 2nd Generation Warfare
2nd Industrial Revolution (1870 – 1914) “The Age of Science and Mass Production”
Development of the steel industry and giant corporations
Electricity, petroleum, gasoline engines, airplanes, chemical fertilizer
2nd Generation (1870 – 1920)
“Early Modern”
Traditionally called “Trench Warfare” (linear)
Massed firepower: automatic weapons and artillery fire
Airpower and Steel battleships—“Dreadnaughts”
Objective: Attrition of military forces
Land, Maritime, and Air
Domains of Warfare
Study.com: 7

8. 3rd Industrial Revolution and 3rd Generation Warfare
3rd Industrial Revolution (1950s – 2000)
“The Digital Revolution”
Semiconductors, mainframe computing, transistors, microprocessors, personal computing, and the Internet
Nuclear technology, energy, and weapons
High-level automation in production thanks to two major inventions: automatons—programmable logic controllers (PLC)—and robots.
3rd Generation (1930 – 2000)
“Late Modern”
Traditionally called “Maneuver Warfare” (non-linear)
Technology driven tactics leveraging speed, stealth, and surprise; bypass enemy lines, collapse forces from rear
Transitioned to nuclear stalemate—“Cold War”
Objective: Annihilation of military forces
Sentryo: 8

9. Land, Maritime, and Air & Space
3rd Industrial Revolution and 3rd Generation Warfare
3rd Industrial Revolution (1950s – 2000)
“The Digital Revolution”
Semiconductors, mainframe computing, transistors, microprocessors, personal computing, and the Internet
Nuclear technology, energy, and weapons
High-level automation in production thanks to two major inventions: automatons—programmable logic controllers (PLC)—and robots.
3rd Generation (1930 – 2000)
“Late Modern”
Traditionally called “Maneuver Warfare” (non-linear)
Technology driven tactics leveraging speed, stealth, and surprise; bypass enemy lines, collapse forces from rear
Transitioned to nuclear stalemate—“Cold War”
Objective: Annihilation of military forces
Land, Maritime, and Air & Space
Domains of Warfare
Sentryo: 9

10. 4th Industrial Revolution and 4th Generation Warfare
“Cyber-physical Systems”
Social media and mobility
The Internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI)
Cloud and Quantum computing
“Big Data” storage and processing
4th Generation (2000 – ?)
“Post Modern”
Traditionally called “Hybrid Warfare”
Decentralized forms of warfare
Blurring lines between war and politics, combatants and civilians due to nation states’ loss of their near-monopoly on combat forces
Objective: Coercion of popular support
Trailhead: 10

11. Land, Maritime, Air & Space, and Cyber
4th Industrial Revolution and 4th Generation Warfare
4th Industrial Revolution (2000 – ?)
“Cyber-physical Systems”
Social media and mobility
The Internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI)
Cloud and Quantum computing
“Big Data” storage and processing
4th Generation (2000 – ?)
“Post Modern”
Traditionally called “Hybrid Warfare”
Decentralized forms of warfare
Blurring lines between war and politics, combatants and civilians due to nation states’ loss of their near-monopoly on combat forces
Objective: Coercion of popular support
Land, Maritime, Air & Space, and Cyber
Domains of Warfare
Trailhead: 11

12. Way Ahead 12

13. Questions

14. The “Generations of War” Model
Four Generations of War Visualized - Chet Richards 14