Small Wars Journal

The Small Wars Journal (SWJ) is a digital publication that delves into conflicts within nations. In addition to the main magazine, SWJ offers a blog and a discussion forum called the Small Wars Council. The website also includes a reference library, suggested reading lists, and information about upcoming events. SWJ is produced by the Small Wars Foundation, a non-profit organization.

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The Battlefield Lessons North Korea Has Learned Fighting Ukraine

2 weeks ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Jane Lytvynenko |Dasl Yoon |Alistair MacDonald

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has become an unexpected training ground for North Korean military forces, revealing critical insights into modern warfare tactics. North Korean troops, initially deployed in December, have rapidly evolved from vulnerable infantry to more sophisticated combatants.
Hegseth ‘disestablishing’ Office of Net Assessment, Pentagon’s strategic analysis specialists

1 month ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Greg Jaffe |Valerie Insinna |Aaron Mehta

Hegseth ‘disestablishing’ Office of Net Assessment, Pentagon’s strategic analysis specialists b is published by Breaking Defense. “WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is “disestablishing” the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment, a key office responsible for high-level strategic analysis, according to a memo obtained by Breaking Defense.
Exposing China’s Legal Preparations for a Taiwan Invasion

1 month ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Tim Boyle

Exposing China’s Legal Preparations for a Taiwan Invasion by Cheng Deng Feng and Tim Boyle is published by War on the Rocks. China is systematically building a legal framework for a potential invasion of Taiwan. How can Taiwan’s friends, partners, and allies push back? We come together as a unique writing team: military lawyers from the U.S. and Taiwanese armed forces.
JAGs Alone Can’t Defend Rule of Law

1 month ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Eliot A. Cohen

JAGs Alone Can’t Defend Rule of Law by Dan Maurer is published by Lawfare. Here’s how LTC Dan Maurer starts off his piece:“In February, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth fired the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the chief of naval operations, the vice chief of staff of the Air Force, and the three service judge advocates general (TJAGs).
VIDEO: "Zero Day" TV Series Illustrates What A Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Could Look Like

1 month ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Yimou Lee |Angie Teo |Fabian Hamacher

Zero Day is a Taiwanese TV series that premiers May of 2025. Please watch the riveting 17 minute trailer below.
3/2/25 National Security and Korean News and Commentary

1 month ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Garry Kasparov |David Maxwell

Access National Security News HERE. Access Korean News HERE. National Security News Content:1. Europe Aims to Forge Its Own Peace Plan for Ukraine2. Putin Wins the Trump-Zelensky Oval Office Spectacle3. Oct. 7 Adds to Long History of Spies Missing the Big Picture4. In Shipbuilding, the U.S. Is Tiny and Rusty5. Two Small Adversaries of Russia and China Are Swapping Notes to Survive6. AI Could Usher In a New Renaissance7.
The Coming Golden Age of Crime- Dr. Robert Muggah (El Centro Fellow) for Foreign Policy

1 month ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Robert Muggah |Misha Glenny

Dr. Robert Muggah, Ph.D., one of our El Centro Fellows, had this to say on LinkedIn about his new piece:Organized crime, one of the world’s oldest professions, is entering a new golden age. In our latest long read with Foreign Policy, we explore the breathtaking sophistication, speed, and scale of today’s criminal networks. Globalization accelerated the spread of organized crime, but digital transformation is taking it to the next level.
Five questions to ask before declaring war on cartels

2 months ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Henry Ziemer

“The drug cartels are waging war on America—and it’s now time for America to wage war on the cartels,” these words, from a statement by President Donald Trump from 2023, reflect a nascent consensus within the Republican foreign policy establishment. Built up over years of growing anxiety over drugs, crime, and illegal immigration, the belief that the United States should take kinetic action against criminal organizations in its southern neighbor is trickling into the political mainstream.
The Indispensable Role of the JAG Corps in Modern Warfare

Jan 17, 2025 | smallwarsjournal.com | Trevor Potter

In an era defined by artificial intelligence, cyberwarfare, and precision-guided munitions, the U.S. military faces increasingly complex challenges on the battlefield. These challenges are not solely tactical but also legal, ethical, and strategic. Recent comments by Pete Hegseth during his confirmation hearing—referring dismissively to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) as “JAG-offs”—risk undermining public understanding of the critical role military lawyers play in today’s armed forces.
New POTUS, New Policies: A Forecast of Five Futures for the Russia-Ukraine War

Jan 10, 2025 | smallwarsjournal.com | Michael Posey |Chase Metcalf

The American people recently re-elected former President Donald J. Trump. President-elect Trump’s return to the Oval Office will likely change the future of the Russia-Ukraine War. In June 2024, President-elect Trump said, “I would tell Zelensky no more — you got to make a deal,” Mr. Trump said of President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine.