Abstract
The chapter introduces the theory and practical consequences of asymmetric and hybrid warfare, as observed in the crisis in Ukraine. It summarizes the legal problems arising from such methods of conducting an armed conflict and asks the question about whether this new type of warfare is compatible with the existing legal system concerning armed conflict, especially regarding the distinction between times of peace and times of conflict, as well as the distinction between combatants/military objectives and protected persons/installations. The conclusion is that if, as predicted by many, hybrid warfare becomes the ‘new normal’, then the current legal regime will have to change to remain meaningful.
Gergely Tóth, Doctor of Law, Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences, Budapest; Ph.D. candidate, National Public Service University, Budapest. Previously a Legal Adviser with the Regional Delegation for Central Europe at the International Committee of the Red Cross. Currently based at the Hungarian Ministry of Defence, Department for Coordination of Public Relations, email: tothgergely@hm.gov.hu.
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Notes
- 1.
Tsybulenko and Pakhomenko 2016.
- 2.
Goldman 2006.
- 3.
Von Clausewitz 1832.
- 4.
Lawrence 1922.
- 5.
Tito 1966.
- 6.
Marighella 2011.
- 7.
Rácz 2015.
- 8.
Metz and Johnson 2001.
- 9.
Wurzel et al. 1998.
- 10.
Central Intelligence Agency, Statement of Work for Asymmetric Warfare Threats to US Interests: Expert Panel Support (Washington, DC: CIA, May 1998), 2. https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=439201. Accessed 14 October 2016.
- 11.
http://www.rand.org/topics/asymmetric-warfare.html. Accessed 15 November 2016.
- 12.
Garamone 2015, ‘NATO focuses on combating hybrid warfare’. https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/604638, Accessed 20 January 2017.
- 13.
Reisinger and Golts 2014.
- 14.
Schulz and Godson 1984.
- 15.
Friedman 2016.
- 16.
Berzenis 2014.
- 17.
Rácz 2015.
- 18.
Hoffmann 2009, p. 38.
- 19.
This is a common paraphrase of McLuhan’s original sentence, which reads: “Our ‘Age of Anxiety’ is, in part, the result of trying to do today’s job with tools – with yesterday’s concepts.” McLuhan and Fiore 1967.
- 20.
Huntington 1957.
- 21.
Waltz 1979, p. 127.
- 22.
Smith 2005, p. 4.
- 23.
Van Creveld 1991, p. 207.
- 24.
Ibid., p. 209.
- 25.
Arquilla and Ronfeldt 2000.
- 26.
Tse-Tung 2007, p. 132.
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Tóth, G. (2018). Legal Challenges in Hybrid Warfare Theory and Practice: Is There a Place for Legal Norms at All?. In: Sayapin, S., Tsybulenko, E. (eds) The Use of Force against Ukraine and International Law. T.M.C. Asser Press, The Hague. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6265-222-4_8
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