Month: January 2025

Today, I reminded myself of the Russo-Japanese War, which began with a surprise attack on the Russian Pacific Fleet in 1904 (a pre-empt for Pearl Harbour). This conflict is important because it not only changed the face of modern warfare, but it also set in motion a sequence of events that led directly to the global catastrophes that characterised the first half of the twentieth century.

At its heart, this little-known struggle was about territorial ambitions in Manchuria and Korea, but the two massive battlefield victories at Muckden in March 1925 and in the Tsushima Strait two months later sealed Russia’s total defeat and forced the Tsar to sue for peace. This led Russia to focus their foreign policy more towards the Balkans, where they caused the “Bosnian Crisis” of 1908 and in turn, sowed the seeds of the assassination of Archduke France Ferdinand six years later.

The Japanese victory, which was a wake-up call for the West, was partly due to the Anglo-Japanese Treaty that had been signed in 1902. This pact balanced the odds by preventing Russia’s ally, France, from deploying troops because if Paris joined the fight, then London would enter the war on the opposite side. The controversial treaty put Britain at odds not only with France and Russia, but also with the USA, which was competing with Japan for Pacific colonies.

Returning to 2025, as I read the over-simplified commentaries about Putin and Russia that were re-hashed this week, I sense we are as far away from understanding how to end the Ukraine war as at any time in the past two years. Russia’s economy is in better shape than ever because it is still trading with some of the richest and largest countries in the world. The West’s strategy of economic warfare is outdated, so we must use other levers of power to re-balance the equation and achieve our aims. It is worth looking at history for some inspiration from the past.

British War Correspondent at the Battle of Mukden

Whatever one thinks of the events of the past 16 months in Gaza, we all have to acknowledge that the World would be a far worse place without the Red Cross Movement.

The fact that the International Committee of the Red Cross has been selected to act as the go-between for the hostage handover, over other humanitarian organisations such as the United Nations, is very telling. Its hard-earned reputation for impartiality and independence is its most important asset, but this has not been maintained without huge challenges.

After several ICRC field-workers were killed in places such as Chechnya, I was invited to Geneva as the first serving military officer to work in their headquarters. They had genuine concerns that unlike the World Wars, when my grandmother was a red cross nurse, they were now seen as legitimate targets by terrorist organisations. This was compounded by the fact that Special Forces soldiers were impersonating them to gain access behind the lines.

As we begin 2025 with renewed hope for peace in the Middle East, and relief for those affected by the current conflict, we need to acknowledge and applaud the courage of the ICRC in maintaining morality in war.

Fighting Spirit is an ethereal quality, which is an essential element of a combat unit. In many ways, it is the defining feature of a regiment’s fitness because it is the vital attribute that makes soldiers sacrifice themselves for their mates in the heat of battle.

After the Cold War, there was a lamentable loss of this characteristic. In the 1990s, there was an insidious mantra purported by influential officers who had not seen battle, claiming that UN Peacekeeping was not worth dying for. This idea became so widespread that the Chief of Defence Staff, Charles Guthrie, published an article stating that the British Army was losing its way due to its UN commitments (it also led to the US Government refusing to take on peacekeeping missions).

Twelve years of tough wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ensured that Fighting Spirit was back in vogue. Although the Army had lost its ability to manoeuvre at scale, it nevertheless comprised many courageous young men and women, who individually were battle-hardened and knew all about Fighting Spirit.

Now in 2025, there are increasing signs that we have lost this trait. It is rare for teachers in British schools, or celebrity media influencers in society to promote its value. A predominant policy of Do Nothing in the face of hard challenges, of individualism over team and rewriting history are insidiously weakening the Armed Forces. Our Special Forces are one of the very few places where Fighting Spirit is maintained. That is why I am not supporting the BBC’s witch-hunt into the SAS, which is based on a Royal Navy malcontent’s evidence.

Fighting Spirit at El Alamein (Kidney Ridge) depicted by Terence Cuneo

The use of Special Forces changed dramatically after 9/11. During the Cold War the roles of these regular and territorial elite forces included stay-behind-information-gathering and countering Soviet Spetsnaz. Special Forces were also used for Out-Of-Area operations, such as the Dhofar Campaign in the Gulf and in Northern Ireland to support the Civil Authorities. During the Civil-War in Bosnia, they played an important communications role in places such as Maglaj, where I was based in 1995.

After 9/11, there was a high-level discussion about the use of Special Forces for targeted assassination against the planners of the worst terrorist atrocity against American and British people (similar ethical debates were held about the use of torture and nuclear weapons). Apart from the moral aspects, the nub of the debate was the consequences and effects on other troops and the question: “would it make people feel safer?”

The British Government took a different stance to the US Government, with much tighter rules placed on British Special Forces. There were a few contraventions, which were reported by the International Committee of the Red Cross, such as members of the SAS pretending to be NGOs in Afghanistan, but overall, British Special Forces were held in check by London… until Helmand became very messy.

Everything changed in Britain after Parliament voted against taking action when Assad used chemical weapons on his people in 2013. Since then, the Government has been reluctant to hold any vote about the use of Armed Forces and instead, they deployed Special Forces and precision weaponry with US Forces, which work to a different ethical regime. It is therefore no surprise to me that this week it was announced that nine members of UK Special Forces could face prosecution over alleged war crimes in Syria. It is the inevitable consequence of politicians bypassing the chain of command and confusing the ethical rules of engagement.

Working with Special Forces in Libya