Non-Violent Social Movements

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the philosophies of non-violent social movements of Liddell Hart's "Strategy" and of Gene Sharp's "Politics of Non-Violent Action" are vastly different in context: Hart's expertise is planning, fighting and winning a battle; whereas, Gene Sharp's reality is in search of maintaining a non-violent movement for peace and social change. The author points out that, in many ways, non-violence requires the same techniques of strategy as war; the results are just different. The paper states that the strength of non-violence lies in its ability to reduce the moral legitimacy of those who persist in using violence.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Indirect Approach
Nonviolent Movement
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The indirect approach was born out of Liddell Hart's years of military study and review of historical accounts of war. The very essence of indirect approach is to discover the enemy's Achilles heal or weakness and strike it quickly to take best advantage of the situation. This will lead to a swift and decisive victory. It is determining the Achilles heal that creates an element of surprise. The enemy will be shocked such knowledge of their weakness is apparently known. By surprising the enemy, the opponent takes advantage of the human factor. Liddell Hart writes in "Strategy", "Throughout the ages effective results in war have rarely been attained unless the approach of has had such indirectness as to ensure the opponent's unreadiness to meet it." Basically what this is saying is an indirect approach wears down the enemy's ability to fight back effectively. The surprise element is so profound the enemy loses its will to meet their opponent head on. Their resistance dissolves while their defense crumbles from exhaustion."

More papers on Non-Violent Social Movements:

• Essay # 65430 : "Student Activism"
• Essay # 65422 : "The Montgomery Bus Boycott"
• Essay # 56724 : "Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi"

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