Guerilla Warfare
Thursday, May 14, 2020
It's not uncommon--in any language--for homophones (words that sound the same, but have different meanings) to cause confusion. A case in point is "gorilla" and "guerilla."
They sound virtually the same in English, though the latter is actually a Spanish word derived from the word "guerra" meaning "war." (The former was recorded around 500 BCE for a "wild, hairy being," supposedly from an African word. It was first used by an American missionary in 1847.)
History is replete with battles and wars that were won by forces fighting in unconventional ways. We picture battles as taking place face to face; but the guerilla fighter uses other tactics.
Ambushes depend on the element of surprise. A group of guerillas will conceal themselves in a place where the enemy is expected to appear, perhaps having been lured there by some ruse, or just marching toward a logical objective. The guerillas then attack, from hidden locations.
Sabotage is another commonly used technique. This involves the destruction by stealth of key assets of the enemy, such as food, water, and weapons.
A most daring form of guerilla action is the raid, in which a force rushes into an area, attacks quickly, and as quickly retreats to their former, safe position. The point here is not to take territory, as usually happens in attacks, but to inflict as many casualties on the enemy as possible. Other goals may be to demoralize the enemy, free captives, or gather intelligence on the enemy's capabilities.
Hit-and-run tactics are similar to raids, but with continued action moving away from the initial attack, rather than retreating to a stronghold.
Also akin is petty warfare, in which smaller units attack and disrupt enemy supplies and support systems while the two sides' main forces face off, thus reducing the enemy's chances of prevailing.
One of the benefits of guerilla activity is the extreme mobility of the force. Large troop movements require more time and greater resources; guerillas can move quickly and provision themselves on the move.
Can you guess who wrote the 1937 book, "On Guerrilla Warfare"? It was none other than Mao Zedong, known to have been one of history's great guerilla leaders.