The Four Generations of Modern War is William S. Lind’s landmark lecture given at Quantico in 2000 that launched a continuing debate in many military circles. In this edited transcript of a later repetition of the original 50-minute lecture, Lind explains the conceptual framework of the Four Generations and goes briefly into detail describing the foundations and features of each of the Generations. He describes the gradual military transformation from Europe’s post-Westphalian culture of state order to the global culture of non-state disorder as well as the resulting effects of these transformations on the battlefield and beyond.
From Westphalia and Waterloo to Oslo and Afghanistan, Lind provides informative historical examples of the Four Generation framework in action and explains its consequences for modern war. And in closing, he warns of how the development of Fourth Generation warfare may not favor the West in its ongoing, centuries-old clash with rival civilizations and cultures.