Modern Warfare: A French View of Counterinsurgency

Jul 6, 2026

Modern Warfare: A French View of Counterinsurgency presents Roger Trinquier’s analysis of counterinsurgency based on practical experience in irregular warfare. The book frames modern warfare as requiring adaptation of military institutions, defines modern warfare, and explores clandestine organization, terrorism, and methods for identifying the adversary. It then addresses political and military conduct, including actions affecting city populations, common errors against guerrillas, resource constraints, and conducting counterguerrilla operations, concluding with the limits of traditional warfare in enemy territory.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages115

Reading Time4 h 50 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

Introduction

Part One. Preparation for War

The Need to Adapt Our Military Apparatus to Modern Warfare

Modern Warfare Defined

An Example of a Clandestine Warfare Organization

Terrorism—The Principal Weapon of Modern Warfare

Identifying the Adversary

Defense of the Territory

Part Two. The Political and Military Conduct of the War

Direct Action on the Populations of Cities

Errors in Fighting the Guerrilla

The Problem of Resources

Conducting Counterguerrilla Operations

Part Three. Carrying the War to the Enemy

The Inadequacies of Traditional Warfare

Modern Warfare in Enemy Territory

Conclusion

MODERN WARFARE: A French View of Counterinsurgency Roger Trinquier Praeger Security International Modern Warfare PSI Classics of the Counterinsurgency Era Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice David Galula Communist Revolutionary Warfare: From the Vietminh to the Viet Cong George K. Tanham Modern Warfare: A French View of Counterinsurgency Roger Trinquier Counter-Guerrilla Operations: The Philippine Experience Napolean D. Valeriano and Charles T.R. Bohannan MODERN WARFARE A French View of Counterinsurgency Roger Trinquier Translated from the French by Daniel Lee With an Introduction by Bernard B. Fall Foreword by Eliot A. Cohen PSI Classics of the Counterinsurgency Era Praeger Security International Westport, Connecticut • London Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Trinquier, Roger. Modern warfare : a French view of counterinsurgency / Roger Trinquier; Translated from the French by Daniel Lee; With an introduction by Bernard B. Fall; Foreword by Eliot A. Cohen. [p. cm](p. cm).—(PSI Classics of the Counterinsurgency Era) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0–275–99267–5 (alk. paper)– ISBN 0–275–99268–3 (pbk : alk. paper) 1. Tactics 2. Guerrilla warfare 3. Subversive activities 4. France—Defenses I. Title II. Series UA700 .T713 1964 355 64013363 British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available. Copyright © 1964, 2006 by Praeger Security International All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, by any process or technique, without the express written consent of the publisher. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 64013363 ISBN: 0–275–99267–5 0–275–99268–3 (pbk.) First published in France in 1961 under the title La Guerre Moderne by Editions de la Table Ronde Praeger Security International, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881 An imprint of Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. [www.praeger.com](www.praeger.com) Printed in the United States of America The paper used in this book complies with the Permanent Paper Standard issued by the National Information Standards Organization (Z39.48–1984) . 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 CONTENTS Foreword by Eliot A. Cohen vii Introduction: A Portrait of the “Centurion” by Bernard B. Fall xi PART ONE. PREPARATION FOR WAR 1 1. The Need to Adapt Our Military Apparatus to Modern Warfare 3 2. Modern Warfare Deﬁned 5 3. An Example of a Clandestine Warfare Organization 9 4. Terrorism—The Principal Weapon of Modern Warfare 15 5. Identifying the Adversary 23 6. Defense of the Territory 27 PART TWO. THE POLITICAL AND MILITARY CONDUCT OF THE WAR 35 7. Direct Action on the Populations of Cities 37 8. Errors in Fighting the Guerrilla 45 9. The Problem of Resources 51 10. Conducting Counterguerrilla Operations 57 vi CONTENTS PART THREE. CARRYING THE WAR TO THE ENEMY 75 11. The Inadequacies of Traditional Warfare 77 12. Modern Warfare in Enemy Territory 83 Conclusion 89 Index 91 FOREWORD World War II divided the French military and the experience of bitter conﬂicts in Indochina and Algeria did so again—culminating in one successful and one unsuccessful revolt by the military against the government. Roger Trinquier was no Gaullist: an ofﬁcer in the colonial infantry, he spent the war ﬁrst defending the French concession in Shanghai and then in Indochina under the Japanese occupation. Yet although he missed ﬁghting with the Free French in North Africa and Europe or with the maquis, he saw plenty of action during the rest of his career. Following his internment by the Japanese in 1945, he continued to serve in Indochina and then in Algeria. He led counterguerrilla units against the Viet Minh, including thousands of montagnard tribesmen in the climactic battle of Dien Bien Phu; narrowly escaping being purged as a Vichy sympathizer, he rotated between training assignments in France and duty as a paratrooper in Algeria, including with t

FAQs

What does the book argue about how militaries should respond to modern warfare?

It emphasizes the need to adapt military apparatus to modern warfare conditions, reflecting lessons learned from irregular conflicts shaped by World War II and later insurgencies.

How does the text define modern warfare and its main features?

Modern warfare is treated as a form of irregular conflict involving clandestine organizations, disciplined insurgent techniques, and the central use of terrorism alongside other methods.

What are key challenges in conducting counterguerrilla operations?

The book highlights problems such as errors when fighting guerrillas, difficulties in resources, and the need to plan and execute counterguerrilla operations that address both political and military dimensions.

Jul 6, 2026

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