Small Wars Journal

3 weeks ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Pamela Ligouri Bunker |Lisa Campbell |Robert Bunker

Editor’s note: This annotated bibliography is the product of a contract between the authors and the Department of Defense’s Irregular Warfare Center (IWC). Authors’ note: This subject bibliography is a selection of top resources on Wagner Group, and includes journal articles, books, and online discussion groups. The dates of the material range from 2019 to 2025, encompassing Wagner’s origins to its breakup and Russian state replacement strategies.

1 month ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Robert Muggah

In late September 2024, German police dismantled dozens of crypto exchanges suspected of laundering billions of dollars and a host of other crimes ranging from ransomware to darknet trading. As part of Operational Final Exchange, German police and prosecutors targeted 47 separate exchanges that had failed to perform background checks, verify proof of identity, or register new customers. What alarmed investigators most, however, was the involvement of individuals with ties to Russian intelligence.

1 month ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Bill McAllister

Consider China’s potential invasion of Taiwan. For policymakers and military planners who think conventionally, or believe that time is on their side, it is easy to brush away any potential invasion as illogical. Nonetheless, those policymakers and planners would be wise to add five basic assumptions to the understanding of the situation. Assumptions:China wants Taiwan for national sovereignty. China wants Taiwan for its advanced technologies and industries.

1 month ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Michael Posey |Anne Furman

Russia seeks to undermine American values and interests using malign influence operations. As an example, the United States military should buttress servicemembers’ resilience through education.

1 month ago | smallwarsjournal.com | Mark Thomas

“When one man is enslaved, all are not free” – John F. KennedyThis paper argues that U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) should modernize its unconventional warfare (UW) training and education to improve its ability to support nonviolent resistance. Resistance scholars such as David Ucko and Dr. Erica Chenoweth argue that resistance movements in the 21st century have increased in frequency and are more likely to be nonviolent, but paradoxically are also less successful than ever.