No. 221 · Strategy · Military and War
Counter-Insurgency
Persistent resistance is fed by something, and cutting off that supply works better than force alone.
In the Almanac
“The Malayan Emergency”, 1948–1960 · “LVMH”, 2021
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Counter-Insurgency?
Counter-Insurgency is the mix of military and civilian effort used to defeat rebels who depend on a population for food, recruits and legitimacy. Force alone rarely works; removing support and addressing grievances does.
How do you use Counter-Insurgency?
Apply it to any recurring problem by asking what keeps feeding it. Fix the process behind repeat complaints, remove the cues behind bad habits, and resolve the grievance behind a conflict. Pair firmness with fairness.
When does Counter-Insurgency matter?
Counter-Insurgency is one of the 56 mental models for strategy, the situations where you ask: How do I win when others want the same thing? Within that, it belongs to “Competing with rivals”, alongside Arms Race, Asymmetric Warfare and Beachhead Strategy.
What is an example of Counter-Insurgency?
Two stories show it at work: The Malayan Emergency (1948–1960) and LVMH (2021). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Counter-Insurgency?
Proximate vs Root Cause, Winning Hearts and Minds and Hydra Effect. Counter-Insurgency itself comes from military and war.