A Study Of "Political Warfare" In The United States

In 2018,a number of think tanks,such as the US Rand Corporation,the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Evaluation,unveiled a “political warfare” research report,arguing that the United States has fundamental flaws in modern warfare.And a single military method cannot satisfy the US national interests.The US should change the dependence on traditional military warfare,and actively develop the ability of “Political Warfare” in the 21 st century.They actively encouraged the Trump administration to regain the Cold War tools and launch a “political war” against China and Russia,reflecting the strategic anxiety caused by the rise of China and Russia to challenge its global hegemonic position.The purpose is to effectively safeguard the US national interests at a lower cost,with the “political warfare” and other containment strategies,to dispel opponents by means of political diplomacy,economic sanctions,false information,military deterrence,etc.,and then create a favorable strategic environment and realize strategic plans.Combing through the theory of “political warfare” helps us to understand the essence of the US military strategy toward China and provide a reference for the strategic contest between China and the US.Following the order of “theory review – case analysis – response and countermeasures”,this thesis is divided into six chapters.The first chapter introduces the origin of the problem,the status quo of the research at home and abroad,as well as possible innovations.The second chapter reviews the historical evolution of “political warfare” in chronological order.The third chapter summarizes the main ideas of the“political warfare” theory.The fourth chapter analyzes the practical cases of “political warfare” and provides a reference for further clarification of its operational implementation process.The fifth chapter evaluates the characteristics and essential attributes of “political warfare”.And the sixth chapter explores the possible impact of“political warfare”on China and the feasible countermeasures from the Chinese side.