" Adapting to chaos: American soldiers in Siberia" Topic

Adapting to chaos: American soldiers in Siberia, 1918-1920.
"Military operations are complex and chaotic phenomena. Current theoretical models inadequately deal with the increasing complexity and inherent uncertainty of modern warfare. Relying on mechanistic paradigms and reductionist methods of analysis, these models fail to account for the inevitable uncertainties of military operations, the relationships between the individual military components, and the emergent qualities of the military system taken as a whole. This monograph suggests a more organic model for military analysis. Beginning with an introduction to the theoretical problem, the monograph presents complexity theory and the concept of adaptation as a more comprehensive theoretical paradigm Complexity theory originates from the study of complex, adaptive systems that exhibit self-organizing behavior. Adaptation is the action of systems trying to turn interactions with their environment to their advantage. A system adapts by learning about its operating environment, anticipating future changes to the environment, and then reorganizing itself in response to those changes. By presenting the military as a complex, adaptive system, this study examines methods of improving adaptive effectiveness in increasingly complex environments. Having outlined the theoretical criteria, the monograph looks at the American military intervention in Siberia from 1918-1920 for evidence of tactical adaptation. The intervention in Siberia offers an example of perhaps the most complex of military operations, military operations other than war (MOOTW). Using both primary and secondary sources, the monograph examines those elements of the military system in Siberia most essential for effective adaptation: intelligence, command and control, and information operations. Intelligence provides the awareness of the surrounding environment. Command and control provides a unifying purpose to the system and gives guidance concerning the reorganization of the system to meet the challenges of the environment. Information operations then convey this knowledge about the environment and unifying purpose to agents both inside and outside the system. This monograph demonstrates that the American military system deployed to Siberia relied on these three elements to facilitate tactical adaptation within a complex and chaotic operating environment. The study concludes that adaptation is essential in complex military operations, especially complex (MOOTW) scenarios. The failure to adapt to complexity leads to systemic failure in competitive environments. In military parlance, systemic failure equates to military defeat. Through adaptation, military systems can avoid defeat during complex military operations."
PDF link

Keep this up, KC and you'll be competing with Tango1, at least in a positive note.

Thanks

I love this subject matter ,have read many accounts of both Siberia,where our troops where beset by friend and foe. also in Archangel where our occupation troops where shanghied by the British thrown into the lead on many occasions against their primary directive equipped as all those were on that front,not with their weapons,but american made Moison Nagants.The Americans performed very well under bad situations. Thank God for the Canadians and their 18pdrs,who on many occasion,held the Bolo's at bay,covering the allied retreat.Great posting KC.keep it up.

Thank you for the link to the article. It should come in very handy am currently working on a paper on the polar bear units for a world war one class.

Thanks. I thought this would be a great companion thread to my thread on the "Operations of the 4th Platoon, Company C, 31st Infantry, at Kazanka, Siberia, on July 3, 1919"
TMP link
Robert

Sorry, but the first few sentences are crammed with every possible academic buzz word, and I therefore quit reading. It's almost a parody of contemporary academic writing.

And the idea the Russian Civil War was a "military operation other than war" is rather strange.

"POLAR BEARS" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Most Americans don't know the US had troops in Russia at that time … However, the Russians never forgot …

Sorry to have dissappointed you.To each his own Ivan DBA.Perhaps you can point out to us what is wrong and inaccurate with the rest of the Monograph? And thanks Andrew Preziosi, jurgenation and SgtPain. I try to find and post what I find interesting and possibly useful. Robert

So… competing with me Robert? (big smile).

Just kidding.

Keep the good work my friend.

You enlight us, history lovers.

Amicalement
Armand

very interesting, actually in the process of finally finishing my thesis on the topic more of the political end then military. There is actually a good deal politically on the topic both in English and Russian. A good starting place is George Kennan's book. One thing I have to agree is that this is very poorly written like a graduate student trying to include every academic buzzword. Reminds me of a Howard Zinn interview in which he attributes the fact that he is a good writer to not being ruined by the academy.

AEF IN SIBERIA

VIGNETTE OF THE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE WHICH VISITED RUSSIA FOLLOWING WORLD WAR I – THEIR MISSION AND ACTIVITIES WHILE IN THE USSR.
link

Thankyou for the Link.

Thanks jurgenation. Glad you liked it. Robert

For follow up reading, unless you have already read it:
link

Eminently well written and I've had several people who were not military buff's report that they really enjoyed reading it

Talking about the Polar Bears, this little place link has a simply amazing collection of stuff related to them. He also has the biggest collection of Medal of Honors displayed in the Midwest.

In another matter, I have heard a lot about the troops being issued the US-made copies of the Mosin-Nagant M-91, I have a US made copy, it shoots just as accurately as the Springfield 1903 and kicks a bit less. I understand the troops being unhappy with training with one gun and having to fight with another but it really did make more sense, the US had almost a million M-91s that hadn't been delivered to the Czar and the ammo in theatre was all 7.62x54R

Wow. Great stuff.