Thinking effects: Effects-based methodology for joint operations

Abstract : A notable shift in geopolitics began more than 10 years ago with the collapse of the Soviet Union. From the perspective of the U.S. military, the primary thrust of this shift was to replace a unitary, implacable, and constantly threatening foe-world communism, represented by the Soviet Union, China and their allies-with more nebulous and multifarious threats. Combined with the experience of World War II, this long-enduring face-off contributed to the development of a conquest paradigm in U.S. military doctrine. Despite the experiences in Korea, Vietnam, and other places over the ensuing decades, the majority of doctrine was written to deal specifically with a major theater war (MTW) through the employment of the conquest paradigm.