THE EVOLUTION OF COUNTERINSURGENCY WARFARE: A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW

this paper makes a historical overview of the evolution of counterinsurgency in order to understand that this concept has not been rigid and static through the ages. it intends to explain why the understanding of counterinsurgency, its objectives and scope, the actors involved in its practice, and especially the legal and legitimate methods applied, are as they are conceived today. in essence, what began as the use of violence to destroy the insurgency along with its social base through all available means became a political enterprise to build state institutions in every region in a specific country. this, in order to erode the insurgency's connection with communities while providing the services required for social and economic development. it also makes an observation of one of the future dilemmas of the debate on counterinsurgency.