Winning Hearts, Not Just Battles: Political Legitimacy and the Dynamics of Counterinsurgency

Counterinsurgency denotes one of the most important forms of modern warfare. Since most of the insurgencies operate in such an environment where political institutions are weak, society is fragile. Therefore, this paper argues that COIN operations are not only the outcome of military dominance but also largely depend on good governance and political reforms. To this end, this paper has examined various classical theories of COIN, like David Galula and Thompson, as well as the modern doctrine of Clear-Hold-Build and Heart and Minds. Apart from theoretical analysis, this study uses various case studies, including the Malayan emergency, the United States of America's intervention in Vietnam and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. By analyzing these theories, this paper examined how the balance between coercive and non-coercive approaches helps policymakers to achieve their goals.