Making Europe Unconquerable
Encyclopedia
Making Europe Unconquerable is a book about how civilian-based defense
can be incorporated into the foundations of European defense and collective security. Written by Gene Sharp
, the book was originally published in the UK and US
in 1985. Its subtitle was the potential of civilian-based deterrence and defense. The book was reviewed in major newspapers, magazines, and professional journals. Although it advocated a significant departure from existing defense policies, it received a favorable review from George F. Kennan
, widely perceived as one of the major architects of the US approach to the cold war
. Later in the same year, the book was republished with a foreword from Kennan
. It has also been published in Dutch and Italian editions.
Making Europe Unconquerable contains 7 chapters entitled
The book also contains a bibliography (12 pages) and an index (24 pages).
New York Review of Books,
the New York Times,
the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
,
Foreign Affairs
,
International Affairs
,
Journal of Peace Research
,
and elsewhere.
In the New York Review of Books, George F. Kennan
, widely viewed as a major architect of the of the US approach to the cold war
, wrote that Sharp's "primary purpose in writing the book was... 'to make civilian-based deterrence and defense a thinkable policy which is recognized as meriting further research, policy studies, and an evaluation.' And for this, he makes a reasonably good case." Kennan stated that "the view advanced in this book deserves consideration, if only because of the bankruptcy of all the visible alternatives to it." Kennan viewed Sharp's approach as requiring
Kennan wondered "whether, if this change in political philosophy were to take place, it might not have wider effects than just those that relate to the concepts of national security—whether many other things might not also change, and, in the main, usefully so," and advised that Sharp
In the New York Times, Karl E. Meyer
described the book as "reflective," and stated that "there is considerable merit to[Sharp's] contention that 'all peoples can with effort make themselves politically indigestable to would-be tyrants.'" Meyer also argued that Sharp's approach "has its flaws.... If the stakes are deemed sufficiently vital, civilian resistance seems unlikely to dissuade a determined aggressor."
In Foreign Affairs, Andrew Pierre wrote that
He added that "The author's proposals go against the grain of mainstream thinking, and to this
reviewer leave many questions unanswered, but they are carefully put forward in a nonpolemical manner and clearly merit sustained attention and thought" (p. 873).
Ted Taylor, himself a former designer of nuclear weapons, reviewed the book in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
. He quoted Einstein:
He added that "The side effects of pursuing a civilian-based defense strategy are especially interesting, since they tend to be beneficial in peacetime. This is a book that should be read attentively by anyone seriously searching for new ways of thinking about how we can stop our "drift toward unparalleled catastrophe." (p. 56).
. ISBN 0850663296, ISBN 0850663369 (xxiv, 190 pages) (BL verify)
Foreign (non-English) language editions:
Civilian-based defense
Civilian-based defense, according to Professor Gene Sharp, a scholar of non-violent struggle, is a “policy [in which] the whole population and the society’s institutions become the fighting forces. Their weaponry consists of a vast variety of forms of psychological, economic, social, and political...
can be incorporated into the foundations of European defense and collective security. Written by Gene Sharp
Gene Sharp
Gene Sharp is Professor Emeritus of political science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He is known for his extensive writings on nonviolent struggle, which have influenced numerous anti-government resistance movements around the world.-Biography:Sharp was born in Ohio, the son of an...
, the book was originally published in the UK and US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1985. Its subtitle was the potential of civilian-based deterrence and defense. The book was reviewed in major newspapers, magazines, and professional journals. Although it advocated a significant departure from existing defense policies, it received a favorable review from George F. Kennan
George F. Kennan
George Frost Kennan was an American adviser, diplomat, political scientist and historian, best known as "the father of containment" and as a key figure in the emergence of the Cold War...
, widely perceived as one of the major architects of the US approach to the cold war
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. Later in the same year, the book was republished with a foreword from Kennan
George F. Kennan
George Frost Kennan was an American adviser, diplomat, political scientist and historian, best known as "the father of containment" and as a key figure in the emergence of the Cold War...
. It has also been published in Dutch and Italian editions.
Topics covered
In its opening pages, Making Europe Unconquerable states that
This book is mostly about... "civilian-based defence"... In this policy, the whole population and the society's institutions become the fighting forces. Their weaponry consists of a vast variety of forms of psychological, economic, social, and political resistance and counter-attack.... to deny the attackers their objectives and to make consolidation of political control impossible. These aims would be achieved by applying massive and selective noncooperation and defiance [and seeking] to create maximum international problems for the attackers and to subvert the reliability of their troops and functionaires. (pp. 2-3)
Making Europe Unconquerable contains 7 chapters entitled
- 1. Meeting Europe's defense needs
- 2. Civilian-based defenseCivilian-based defenseCivilian-based defense, according to Professor Gene Sharp, a scholar of non-violent struggle, is a “policy [in which] the whole population and the society’s institutions become the fighting forces. Their weaponry consists of a vast variety of forms of psychological, economic, social, and political...
for Western Europe? - 3. TransarmamentTransarmamentTransarmament is the partial or total replacement of armed forces with the physical and social infrastructure to support nonviolent resistance. According to an encyclopedia definition, transarmament is...
- 4. Preventing attack
- 6. In face of attack
- 6. Defeating attack
- 7. Assessing the potential
The book also contains a bibliography (12 pages) and an index (24 pages).
Reviews and influence
Reviews have appeared in theNew York Review of Books,
the New York Times,
the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is a nontechnical online magazine that covers global security and public policy issues, especially related to the dangers posed by nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction...
,
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
,
International Affairs
International Affairs (journal)
International Affairs is Britain's leading peer-reviewed academic journal of international relations founded by Chatham House in 1924. It is published bi-monthly by Wiley-Blackwell . Currently its editor-in-chief is Caroline Soper...
,
Journal of Peace Research
Journal of Peace Research
The Journal of Peace Research is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes scholarly articles and book reviews in the fields of peace studies, conflict resolution, and international security. Its scope is similar to that of the Journal of Conflict Resolution. Founded by Johan Galtung in 1964,...
,
and elsewhere.
In the New York Review of Books, George F. Kennan
George F. Kennan
George Frost Kennan was an American adviser, diplomat, political scientist and historian, best known as "the father of containment" and as a key figure in the emergence of the Cold War...
, widely viewed as a major architect of the of the US approach to the cold war
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, wrote that Sharp's "primary purpose in writing the book was... 'to make civilian-based deterrence and defense a thinkable policy which is recognized as meriting further research, policy studies, and an evaluation.' And for this, he makes a reasonably good case." Kennan stated that "the view advanced in this book deserves consideration, if only because of the bankruptcy of all the visible alternatives to it." Kennan viewed Sharp's approach as requiring
a change in political philosophy. For it taps, as Mr. Sharp says in his final passages, "a crucial insight into the nature of power"—namely, that "all political power is rooted in and continually dependent upon the co-operation and obedience of the subjects and institutions of the society…. It is indeed possible for whole societies to apply that insight"
Kennan wondered "whether, if this change in political philosophy were to take place, it might not have wider effects than just those that relate to the concepts of national security—whether many other things might not also change, and, in the main, usefully so," and advised that Sharp
must not expect... that the effort to win understanding for his views will be easy going.... It will arouse in many circles the same skepticism, and perhaps the same derision, that this reviewer brought down upon himself when he had the temerity to advance somewhat similar ideas in a widely publicized radio lecture delivered over the facilities of the BBC many years ago.
In the New York Times, Karl E. Meyer
Karl E. Meyer
Karl E. Meyer is a third generation journalist. His grandfather, George Meyer, was the editor of the leading German language newspaper in Milwaukee, the Germania; his father, Ernest L. Meyer, was a columnist for The Capital Times and then The New York Post.Karl Meyer was born in Madison, Wisconsin...
described the book as "reflective," and stated that "there is considerable merit to
In Foreign Affairs, Andrew Pierre wrote that
The value of this thoughtful work is in the alternative it suggests: "civilian defense" through advance training for such actions against an intruder as mass public demonstrations, boycotts and strikes, demoralization of enemy troops, and the like. (pp. 872-873)
He added that "The author's proposals go against the grain of mainstream thinking, and to this
reviewer leave many questions unanswered, but they are carefully put forward in a nonpolemical manner and clearly merit sustained attention and thought" (p. 873).
Ted Taylor, himself a former designer of nuclear weapons, reviewed the book in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is a nontechnical online magazine that covers global security and public policy issues, especially related to the dangers posed by nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction...
. He quoted Einstein:
"The unleashed power of the atom has changed everything save our modes of thinking, and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe." Although Albert Einstein's admonition has been quoted innumerable times, it has not, with few exceptions, led to deep and persistent thought about alternatives.... One of these exceptions is in the writings of Gene Sharp about what he calls "civilian-based defense".... Making Europe Unconquerable is especially timely. (p. 54)
He added that "The side effects of pursuing a civilian-based defense strategy are especially interesting, since they tend to be beneficial in peacetime. This is a book that should be read attentively by anyone seriously searching for new ways of thinking about how we can stop our "drift toward unparalleled catastrophe." (p. 56).
Editions
English language editions: ISBN 0850663296 (250 pages) ISBN 0850663296 (pbk), ISBN 0850663369 (cased) (xii, 250 pages) (BL verify), with a foreword by George F. KennanGeorge F. Kennan
George Frost Kennan was an American adviser, diplomat, political scientist and historian, best known as "the father of containment" and as a key figure in the emergence of the Cold War...
. ISBN 0850663296, ISBN 0850663369 (xxiv, 190 pages) (BL verify)
Foreign (non-English) language editions:
- Dutch: Gene Sharp (1988). Naar een onveroverbaar Europa: de kracht van civiele afschrikking en sociale verdediging (met een voorw. van George F. KennanGeorge F. KennanGeorge Frost Kennan was an American adviser, diplomat, political scientist and historian, best known as "the father of containment" and as a key figure in the emergence of the Cold War...
; vert. uit het Engels: Peter Kruijt et al). Antwerpen, Netherlands: Internationale Vredesinformatiedienst, 1988. ISBN 9789070316402 (ISBN 9070316404) - Italian: Gene Sharp (1989). Verso un'Europa inconquistabile (introduzione di G. PasquinoGianfranco PasquinoGianfranco Pasquino is an Italian political scientist, currently professor of political science at the University of Bologna. He is also a professor at the "Bologna Center" at Dickinson College and at the SAIS Bologna center of Johns Hopkins University...
). Bergamo, Italy: Gruppo Abele, 1989. Edizione italiana a cura di Fulvio Cesare Manara. ISBN 9788876701238 (ISBN 8876701230)