Abstract
The strategic thinking that inevitably followed the end of the Cold War's bipolar rivalry has spawned some interesting theories about war in the twenty-first century. However, these do not adequately address the factor of culture, which probably offers the best insights on emerging regional and intrastate conflicts. We should not assume that the rationale for war or the means of war-making are one and the same for Hutus, Arabs, Russians, Chechens, Afghanis, and Kashmiris. In this regard, Adda Bozeman's older theory of war and culture deserves a second look. Although that theory primarily addresses the philosophy of war, it also lends itself to a comparative study of the ways of war. A cursory case study of conflict in the Levant demonstrates the potential merit of the cultural-historical method that Bozeman advocates. The full application of this method to all areas of strategic interest would be an extensive undertaking, but a valid effort nonetheless.
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