ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Rumsfeld Doctrine

The Rumsfeld Doctrine is named after Donald Rumsfeld, who was the United States Secretary of Defense between 2001 and 2006.

In very simple terms, the Rumsfeld Doctrine is a military strategy that emphasizes speed, agility, and flexibility in warfare. It's a way of fighting that is different from traditional military tactics that rely mostly on overwhelming firepower to defeat the enemy.

The idea is to use technology, intelligence, and innovation to achieve your military goals, rather than just brute force. This approach relies heavily on being able to move troops and resources quickly in order to counter the enemy's movements and exploit their weaknesses.

In the case of the United States, which has a very advanced military, the Rumsfeld Doctrine emphasizes the use of technology and intelligence gathering to gain an advantage over the enemy. This includes using drones, cyber warfare, and special forces to gather information and launch targeted attacks against specific objectives, rather than relying solely on large-scale military campaigns.

This doctrine is often associated with the United States' invasion of Iraq in 2003, where the U.S. military was able to quickly topple the government of Saddam Hussein using a combination of technology and airpower. However, some critics argue that the Rumsfeld Doctrine is too focused on the tactics of modern warfare and does not take into account the complexities of conflicts in the 21st century, such as insurgencies and counterinsurgencies.

Overall, the Rumsfeld Doctrine is about using innovation and technology to achieve military objectives quickly and efficiently, rather than relying on brute force and overwhelming firepower.