The Contextual Study: A Structured Approach to the Study of Political and Military Aspects of Limited War

Study of military problems in limited war by conventional techniques of systems analysis or operations analysis is hampered by the dominating effect of nonquantifiable variables, such as political factors. Such variables interact with the military factors in a complex fashion the relation is dynamic, so that political and military problems cannot be separated, and it changes continually throughout the course of a limited war. Static assumptions regarding political constraints form unreliable boundary conditions within which to consider desired military tactics or weapons characteristics. A structured analytical method termed contextual study is suggested, whereby the military and political factors of the environment of a limited war are considered simultaneously throughout a campaign or series of campaigns. Advantages and limitations of the method and distinctions between it and operational war gaming are discussed. Applications to other types of problems than limited war—problems involving close interaction among quantifiable and nonquantifiable factors—are suggested.