The Development of the American Theory of Limited War,1945-63

Abstract

This article challenges the idea that the thinkers who developed the American theory of limited war prior to Vietnam were grossly in error. A framework for the elements of the theory is constructed through a discussion of the historical American way of war, the developments during the late 1940s and early 1950s that brought about changes in these traditions, policies, and strategies adopted by three administrations, and an examination of the writings of the limited war theorists through the early 1960s. An analysis of the theory is then undertaken using the "classical" theorists as a basis. The article closes with a discussion of the implications of the theory of limited war for today.