Gerasimov doctrine

General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces

The Gerasimov Doctrine, named after the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces General Valery Gerasimov, is a pseudo-military doctrine created by the Western media and some Russian analysts.[1][2][3] It is based on Gerasimov’s views about U.S. contemporary warfare,[4] putting interstate conflict and warfare on a par with political, economic, informational,[5] humanitarian, and other non-military activities.[6][7][8][9] It became known after Mark Galeotti coined the term in his blog "In Moscow Shadows"[10] and the invasion and annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014. Some Western analysts were convinced that the Russian actions reflected the "Gerasimov Doctrine"[1] helping to spread the term and making it a buzzword.

The idea of the existence of a "Gerasimov Doctrine" is contested by many researchers and specialists in Russian military thinking and doctrine. According to them, the key elements of the Gerasimov Doctrine underlie the concept of New Generation Warfare.[4][11] Many also argue that Gerasimov never wanted to present a doctrine and rather was asking the scientists of the Russian Academy of Military Science to do research to help him to understand the new ways of Western warfare.[12]

  1. ^ a b Murphy, Martin (12 September 2016). "Understanding Russia's Concept for Total War in Europe". The Heritage Foundation.
  2. ^ Fisher, Max (25 July 2016). "In D.N.C. Hack, Echoes of Russia's New Approach to Power". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  3. ^ MCKEW, MOLLY K. (September–October 2017). "The Gerasimov Doctrine". Politico.
  4. ^ a b Bērziņš, Jānis (2 July 2020). "The Theory and Practice of New Generation Warfare: The Case of Ukraine and Syria". The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. 33 (3): 355–380. doi:10.1080/13518046.2020.1824109. ISSN 1351-8046. S2CID 229182086.
  5. ^ Donald M. Bishop Tony Selhorst on the role of information in the Gerasimov doctrine Archived 2016-10-21 at the Wayback Machine / The Public Diplomacy Council, 25.06.2016
  6. ^ Jones, Sam (28 August 2014). Ukraine: Russia’s new art of war Financial Times,
  7. ^ Can Kasapoglu. Rissia’s Renewed Military Thinking: Non-Linear Warfare and Reflexife Control Archived 24 May 2022 at the Wayback Machine // Research Division — NATO Defence College, Rome. № 121, P. 3, November 2015.
  8. ^ Yuri Drazdow Modern hybrid war, by Russia’s rules / The Minsk Herald, 03.11.2014.
  9. ^ Tony Selhorst Russia’s Perception Warfare / Militaire Spectator 22.04.2016
  10. ^ "The 'Gerasimov Doctrine' and Russian Non-Linear War". In Moscow's Shadows. 6 July 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  11. ^ Chambers J. (18 October 2016). "Countering Gray-Zone Hybrid Threats. An Analysis of Russia's 'New Generation Warfare' and implications for the US Army" (PDF). Modern War Institute at West Point. Retrieved 16 March 2017.
  12. ^ Bērziņš, Jānis (16 March 2016). "Russian Warfare is not Hybrid". Strategy and Economics. Retrieved 6 February 2023.