Introduction
1. The evolution of warfare is a continuing and continual process where the new generation beats the old. The new generation will be defined by current developments in society as a whole. In terms of economies, there is a heavy emphasis on information the interconnection of the world’s economies and the influence of market forces on the political discourse. In terms of politics there are more state and non-state actors, with states yielding vast economic power. In terms of society, social structures emphasize networks more than hierarchies and are influenced more by interests rather than national loyalties. In terms of emerging technologies there is instantaneous transmission of information; it is made up of webbed information links, it is electronic based and built around the exploitation of information.
2. War in the 21st Century is evolving into a new kind of battle, one that many states are ill prepared to fight. Over the last decade, military reformers have been wrestling with what future war will look like and the implications it will have on the military. By examining past wars, they believe a new generation of warfare has emerged - a fourth generation. Fourth generation warfare is defined as an “evolved form of insurgency that uses all available networks – political, economic, social, military – to convince the enemy’s decision makers that their strategic goals are either unachievable or too costly for the perceived benefit.”1 Unlike past wars, it does not win by defeating an enemy’s military forces, but by defeating their political will.2 4GW (fourth generation warfare) is the term used by military thinkers to describe conflict at the end of the 20th century. In general, 4GW is an extremely effective method of warfare that the US and its allies will find very difficult to defeat (a slow burn, rather than complete eradication, may be the best possible outcome).

3. This paper will give us a primitive idea about the generations of warfare. It will enable us know about the fourth generation warfare its elements and characteristics, differences with other generations of warfare and how to win a fourth generation warfare conflict.


Aim
4. The aim of this paper is to give a primitive idea of Fourth Generations of Warfare.
Generations of Warfare
5. The first generation was characterized by mass conscription, fighting without regard to seasons, the use of formations such as rigid drills and fighting in a line to maximize the firepower of musketry, and a distinct lack of operational maneuver except among the best commanders (Napoleon was master of the art of operational maneuver).
6. Second generation (modern) warfare came about with the appearance of breech-loaded rifles, which made massed formations suicidal. The US Civil War was perhaps the last 1GW war, and showed elements of what was to come: reliance on indirect fire, dispersed lines in the advance, a reluctance to give ground in the defense and the development of operational art, particularly in the German army. WWI was a perfect example of this generation of war fighting at its peak.
7. Third Generation of Warfare (3GW) was also developed by the Germans, who saw a need to compete with numerically superior enemies and also an opportunity in new technologies. The result was the blitzkrieg: non-linear warfare, emphasis on logistics and maneuver, targeting enemy populations as a means to reduce future enemy supplies and on fighting in time (as well as space) and combined arms (aircraft acting as scouts, infantry supporting tanks in a breakthrough, tanks supporting infantry in defense and so on). WWII was the prime example of 3GW war, and its zenith in theory was the American Air Land doctrine developed after Viet Nam.


Fourth Generations of Warfare
8. Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW) is based on dispersion and communications that remove the battle front entirely. Attackers rely on cultural/media attack and coordinated violent actions to and paralyze or collapse the enemy's political will, rather than seeking decisive combat. Fourth Generation Warfare is based on dispersion and communications that remove the battle front entirely. Attackers rely on cultural/media attack and coordinated violent actions to and paralyze or collapse the enemy's political will, rather than seeking decisive combat.
9. 4GW can be defined as a method of warfare that uses the following to achieve a moral victory:
a. Undermines enemy strengths (this may seem obvious, but most of modern warfare has involved direct attacks on enemy strengths -- find the enemy army and destroy it).
b. Exploits enemy weaknesses.
c. Uses asymmetric operations (weapons and techniques that differ substantially from opponents).

Elements of 4GW
10. Fourth Generation Warfare is defined as conflicts which involve the following elements:
a. Are complex and long term
b. Terrorism (tactic)
c. A non-national or transnational base—highly decentralized
d. A direct attack on the enemy's culture
e. Highly sophisticated psychological warfare, especially through media manipulation and lawfare
f. All available pressures are used - political, economic, social and military
g. Occurs in low intensity conflict, involving actors from all networks
h. Non-combatants are tactical dilemmas
j. Lack of hierarchy
k. Small in size, spread out network of communication and financial support
l. Use of Insurgency and Guerilla tactics

Characteristics of 4GW

11. Fourth generation warfare is normally characterized by a violent non-state actor (VNSA) fighting a state. This fighting can be physically done, such as by modern examples Hezbollah or the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In this realm the VNSA uses all three levels of fourth generation warfare. These are the physical (actual combat; it is considered the least important), mental (the will to fight, belief in victory, etc) and moral (the most important, this includes cultural norms, etc) levels. A Fourth Generation Warfare enemy has the following characteristics: lacks hierarchal authority, lack of formal structure, patience and flexibility, ability to keep a low profile when needed, and small size (Thornton 2007). A Fourth Generation Warfare adversary might use the tactics of an insurgent, terrorist, or guerilla; in order to wage war against a nation's infastructure. 4th Generation Warfare takes place on all fronts: economical, political, the media, military, and civilian.

12. Resistance can also be below the physical level of violence. This is via non-violent means, such as Gandhi’s opposition to the British Empire or Martin Luther King’s marches. Both desired their factions to deescalate the conflict while the state escalates against them, the objective being to target the opponent on the moral and mental levels rather than the physical level. The state is then seen as a bully and loses support. Another characteristic of fourth generation warfare is that as with third generation warfare, the VNSA’s forces are decentralized. With fourth generation warfare there may even be no single organisation and that smaller groups organize into impromptu alliances to target a bigger threat (that being the state armed forces or another faction). As a result these alliances are weak and if the state’s military leadership is smart enough they can split their enemy and cause them to fight amongst themselves. Resistance can also be below the physical level of violence. This is via non-violent means, such as Gandhi’s opposition to the British Empire or Martin Luther King’s marches.

13. Both desired their factions to deescalate the conflict while the state escalates against them, the objective being to target the opponent on the moral and mental levels rather than the physical level. The state is then seen as a bully and loses support. Another characteristic of fourth generation warfare is that as with third generation warfare, the VNSA’s forces are decentralized. With fourth generation warfare there may even be no single organisation and that smaller groups organize into impromptu alliances to target a bigger threat (that being the state armed forces or another faction). As a result these alliances are weak and if the state’s military leadership is smart enough they can split their enemy and cause them to fight amongst themselves.

Differences with Other Generations

14. Many of the methods used in 4GW aren't new and have robust historical precedent. However, there are important differences in how it is applied today. These include:
a. Global -- modern technologies and economic integration enable global operations.
b. Pervasive -- the decline of nation-state warfare has forced all open conflict into the 4GW mold.
c. Granularity -- extremely small viable groups and variety of reasons for conflict.
d. Vulerability -- open societies and economies.
e. Technology -- new technologies have dramatically increased the productivity of small groups of 4GW warriors.
f. Media -- global media saturation makes possible an incredible level of manipulation.
g. Networked -- new organizational types made possible by improvements in technology are much better at learning, surviving, and acting.

Winning 4GW Conflict
15. Undermine guerrilla causes and destroy their cohesion by demonstrating integrity and competence of government to represent and serve needs of people – rather than exploit and impoverish them for the benefit of a greedy elite.

a. Take political initiative to root out and visibly punish corruption and eliminate grievances at the grass roots.
b. Infiltrate guerrilla movements and employ the population for intelligence on the guerrillas
c. Deploy administrative talent, police, and roving counter-guerrilla teams into affected regions.
d. Take and keep the initiative by relentless pursuit. Employ the guerrilla’s own tactics of reconnaissance, infiltration, surprise hit-and-run, and sudden ambush to keep roving bands off-balance and to make base areas untenable.
e. Emphasize capture and conversion to government cause -- instead of harsh anti-population reprisal measures and “body count” – as a basis to undermine guerrilla influence.
f. Visibly identify central government with local political/economic/social reform in order to connect government with hopes and needs of people, thereby gain their support and confirm government legitimacy.
g. Destroy guerrilla cohesion and break their hold upon the population via political initiative that demonstrates moral legitimacy and vitality of government and by relentless military operations that emphasize stealth/fast tempo/fluidity-of-action and cohesion of overall effort.
h. Good flow of intelligence in terms of open, human, cultural and political.


Conclusion
16. War theorists believe we have entered into a new generation of warfare where an evolved form of insurgency uses all available networks – political, economic, social, military – to convince the enemy’s decision makers that their strategic goals are either unachievable or too costly for the perceived benefit. They have named this new era of war fourth generation warfare. Fourth generation warfare is not new, but has been evolving for over seventy years. It is the only type of warfare known to have defeated major military powers. It defeated America in Vietnam, Lebanon, and Somalia; the French in Vietnam and Algeria; and the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.3 Currently, it is being used by Chechnya against the Russians, and in Iraq and Afghanistan against the United States.4 The defeat of major powers by weaker opponents makes it essential to understand this form of warfare and adapt accordingly.

17. The differences of 4GW with other generations of warfare is the technology used in this warfare. In 4GW the war does not restrict itself only in the battlefield it emerges in the socio economic side also. Fourth generation warfare is normally characterized by a violent non-state actor (VNSA) fighting a state. This fighting can be physically done or can be fought in other sector of an country. The decline of nation-state warfare has forced all open conflict into the 4GW mold. Also the global media plays a vital role in 4GW. As we have countered a winning of Vietnam by the media in Vietnam war.

18. Winning the conflict in 4GW needs a good source of intelligence and political support of the armed forces. As media plays a vital role in the 4GW so the support of media can not be ignored. The war theorists has commented whether 4GW will bring the World War IV or not. It can not be said yet the confusion still remains. As part of the world politics and warfare Bangladesh should take necessary steps to win over a conflict of 4GW if situation arises.


Recommendations

19. A few steps which Bangladesh can adopt are recommended below:

a. Good intelligence network should be established.
b. Control over the media can be made.
c. Counter guerrilla team should be formed and trained.
d. New technologies of warfare should be used.
e. Electronic warfare system to be adopted and a team of specialist should be formed consisting the technologist of media and electronic warfare.