An Unwholly Trinity: the Challenges of Proxy Warfare

Publisher Marketing: Why fight when someone else will do it for you? Conventional wisdom suggests that a capable proxy force assumes most of the risk and requires only the ability to fight well. A debate about whether success depends solely on the proxy's ability to fight does not sufficiently consider events or factors that may be of greater influence. A sponsor seeking out a proxy force must look beyond the obvious--whether or not the proxy force can fight--and consider the factors that will shape the battlespace. Certain situations are arguably more conducive than others for using a proxy force. In some cases, a sponsor may feel it has no other choice. Regardless, a sponsor assumes significant risk when it subjects the accomplishment of its political objectives to the efforts of a third party. This thesis intends to shed light on the importance of the conditions surrounding the selection, support, and employment of a proxy force. To simply say context matters adds little to the body of knowledge. To illustrate the importance of contextual factors and highlight their varying importance, this thesis develops and applies an analytical framework designed to allow decision makers to engage in a more meaningful discussion when deciding whether or not to use a proxy force. Specifically, the framework breaks these contextual factors into four different categories--structural conditions associated with the area of operations, how a proxy force is supported, how it is employed, and lastly, how well the proxy force fights. Although each category may influence success or failure, this thesis aims to identify which factors matter most. A proxy is not a risk-free ground force. The sponsor incurs a great deal of risk when it takes on a proxy. Some of the risk can be mitigated through the employment of a proper strategy.