The Diffusion of Planning Doctrine for Crisis Response Operations: The Culmination of Clausewitz?

This paper explores the intellectual origins of NATO operational planning doctrine and how it has migrated to other international organisations such as the EU and the UN. It argues that some of the key concepts it contains - centres of gravity, decisive points, lines of operations and end-?states - are increasingly difficult to apply in the modern crisis response operations armed forces are tasked to undertake. In this sense, doctrinal ideas stretching back to the days of Clausewitz are coming near their point of culmination not because they are invalidated but because political guidance no longer allows for them. The paper concludes with some thoughts on the implications of this state of affairs in terms of the strategic instrumentality of crisis response operations and the structure of politico-?military relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]