“Guerilla Warfare” by Ernesto Che Guevara
Ernesto “Che” Guevara is a polarizing figure.
He’s that iconic face on every rebellious teenager’s t-shirt, the unlikely global merchandise (capitalist) icon, and a romantic figure of an Argentinian doctor turned socialist revolutionary figure fighting against US imperialism. The movie “The Motorcycle Diaries” about his travels in Latin America during his doctor days, which first moved him into activism, is still one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.
But you know what they say, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. While he was adored by many as a freedom fighter, Che Guevara is labelled by the US as a terrorist, because alongside Fidel Castro et al he fought and won against US-puppet dictator Fulgencio Batista in Cuba. And one of the first things they did after assuming power in 1959 was to seize the properties of a US company, United Fruit Company, that holds thousands of acres of land in the island and re-distribute them to the Cuban people.
This book was published in 1961, and it immediately became the paramilitary go-to handbook for thousands of guerilla fighters in multiple countries around the globe. It is based on Guevara’s personal experience in the successful Cuban Revolution that stretched for 5 years and 5 months.
The book declares right at the beginning that the victory in the Cuban revolution generates 3 lessons: 1. Popular forces can win a war against the state army 2. Guerillas don’t have to wait until all conditions met to start a revolution, instead they can create them 3. In the underdeveloped Americas the basic place to operate a guerilla movement is in the countryside. Guevara also emphasized that the prerequisite principal of the guerilla warfare is that it can only be implemented after all peaceful and legal means have been exhausted and it has the support of its people.
But when an arms uprising is really needed? The book proceeded to discuss the strategy of warfare in much detail, with topics such as the various forms of combat tactics, hit-and-run strikes, sabotage, ambush, destroying supplies, protracted combat at a distance, encircling the enemy, surprise and rapidity of attacks, splitting into smaller groups when needed, the importance of knowing the battlefield, on saving bullets and use them accurately, replenishing weapons and ammunition using their enemy’s as the source (or even from fallen comrades), luring the enemy to fight in a favorable ground, or adapting to fight in an unfavorable ground.
The book also describes the daily life of a guerilla fighter, including indoctrination and uniformed political beliefs, on supplies and transportation, military discipline, bed time discipline, or how to manage the shifts in daily battles. It covers the subject of physical and mental robustness, where guerillas must be able to sleep anywhere and go without food for days and carry all of their supplies on the back: which includes clothes, a knapsack, a hammock with nylon roof, a weapon, a canteen, canned food, and soap. And shoes, shoes are essential to enable the fighters to mobilize to any terrain, and it is advisable to wear them at all times even when sleeping (so they can get going quickly).
Moreover, Guevara then discusses about the organization of a guerilla operation, the choice of formation, the number of units moving together, what kind of weapons being used in different circumstances, medicine and medical problems, the role of the women, eating equipment, note-taking tools, information intelligence, and perhaps most crucially on establishing a de facto civil government in a friendly area. Along the way, he provides several guerilla examples from history, from Mao Zedong to Ho Chi Minh, from a case in Ukraine against Soviet Union to the story in Algeria against the French.
It is a fast read filled with highly actionable information, perfect as a guide for an uprising. No wonder that the book has become one of the main guides for guerilla war.
PS: Not long after the publication of this book Che Guevara disappeared from public view in 1965, only to be found leading a guerilla force in Congo (unsuccessfully) and then in Bolivia when on 9 October 1967 he was eventually caught by CIA-backed Bolivian army. He was immediately assassinated.
THE CHAOS THEORY 