PROJECT: INFANTRY

CONCLUSION

 

          In the nowadays, there are states which possess enormous military capabilities. But, at the same time, there are many states that cannot afford to develop armed forces according to the level of threats, especially due to the economic reasons. As I presented in the Introduction, the tough technologic race in the military equipment field determined huge prices of these, which resulted in great difficulties for the states to purchase modern war systems and also to keep enough army units necessary for national security defense. It is certain that few countries can afford to buy modern equipments. Supposing that a state makes an effort to modernize the army, the problem is solved just for a short or a medium period of time. The modern military equipments require costly exploitation and, after a while, they become obsolete. Basically, national defense has become so expensive, that it is very difficult to achieve. So, when country with a low economic level faces military threats from a regional, or even a world military power, what can be done?

          There is an option: military alliances. A state that does not have enough military capabilities can mitigate the risk by joining a military alliance. But, my dear reader, I will ask you: how many times the military alliances have worked during the crises? Can a country rely for sure on the military alliance it that joined? The history does not provide enough optimistic answers to this question. I consider that joining a military alliance does not eliminate risks, it just might diminish them. That is why, in order to discourage a military aggression, a state needs to keep the armed forces at a specific level.

          If the military alliance does not exist or it does not work accordingly, what can be done? A nation can give up sovereignty and national independence when facing a military aggression? For sure not and, based on what I presented in this book, I can state that a country with a low economic level can resist a military attack from a powerful state.  

          In august 1990, Saddam Hussein ordered Iraqi Army to occupy the small country Kuwait because he was sure that the resistance was weak, almost non-existent and the invasion would have taken little time, maybe one or two days. His forecast confirmed, because he took in consideration one certain fact: a small Kuwaiti Army, although equipped with modern weapons. If he had estimated that the Kuwaiti Army had resisted more, that means 15 to 20 days, would Saddam have sent his army to invade the neighboring country? It is difficult to answer, because we need to consider other aspects, such as the position of other countries which could intervene in the crisis and many other facts that could make him to think twice before to decide. Although the Iraqi invasion had been successful anyway, no matter how powerful Kuwaiti Army was, that does not mean that the outcome would have been sure. The military campaign extension and the economic and political costs could modify the crisis outcome..

          The conclusion is: an aggressor will think twice if he estimates that a war, which he wins for sure, is about to be very costly.  When facing a strong enemy, which has enough modern equipment, a country with a low economic level has some chances to reach a political agreement in a possible crisis, if the aggressor knows that the military option is very expensive and the benefits can be less than the achievements. In order to realize this, the country that needs to defend itself must have a core of professional troops, which do not require huge expenses to be equipped with modern weapons, enough territorial troops able to establish strong strategic defense lines, and guerrilla warfare units.  If that country has all these three categories of troops, an aggressor will hardly afford to plan an invasion. The economic calculation would postpone or even eliminate the plans of a military conflict. It is just a matter of mathematics.