Sign up for email notification of new releases in your field. The bangkok treaty had restricted the expansion of siamese power. Malayan emergency the malayan emergency was the conflict that occurred shortly after the end of the second world war in british malaya from june 1948 till july 1960 between the british and her allies against chinese malay communists. On 6 october 1951, the british high commissioner in malaya, sir henry gurney, was assassinated, and briggs left the following december. It contends that the revisionists overlook the decisive psychological impact of templers malayan sojourn. Friedman 2006,and anything alluding to field marshal sir gerald templer, kg, gcb, gcmg, kbe. Psychological warfare was first published in 1948, and it became the authoritative text on the subject for decades. Other contemporary scholars, such as kumar ramakrishna, have also adhered to the popular consensus, seen in ramakrishnas article transmogrifying malaya. Even today, it explains the basic principles of propaganda and psychological warfare both white and black, from organization and planning to analysis and response. The programs instituted by templer, of harsh security measures and effective political and psychological warfare, began to. Gerald templer explained everything explained today.
More recently, richard stubbs has reiterated this argument in his 1989 book on the emergency, focussing on the impact of hearts and minds, while lambasting the british effort up until 1951 1989. A modest proposal to adjust the principles of war page 3. He is widely credited with turning the situation in the malayan emergency in favour of the british forces. The secret war against the american people gonzalez, servando on. Special operations volunteer force military wiki fandom.
Every book written on the malayan emergency credits c. As the british tried to repair the malayan economy, the malayan communist party, or. As part of his new program, an emphasis was placed on intelligence and psychological warfare operations. Sir gerald templer and his assistant, major lord wynford extreme left are seen with. Thus, the information services department and the psychological warfare department kept the civilian population informed of government policies, communist atrocities and disruption activities. Churchills conservative party then regained power in whitehall. Sir gerald templer was appointed high commissioner and director of operations in january 1952. Field marshal sir gerald templer counterinsurgency is the use of all elements of a nations powerincluding not only combinedarms operations but also psychological, political, economic, intelligence, and diplomatic operationsto defeat an insurgency.
Gerald templer academic dictionaries and encyclopedias. The phrase comes from a speech given by general sir gerard templer. Probably the best biography of too is the story of a psywarrior, lim cheng leng, malaysia, 2000. In january 1952, general gerald templer was appointed as british high commissioner. In fact, the british did not have to win many hearts and minds in malaya.
Thirdly, and considered to be one of the most important would be sir gerald templer, who became the commander of the british forces in 1952. He expanded the information gathering and intelligence systems, as well as psychological operations and propaganda compelling guerillas to surrender. The high commissioner in malaya congratulates another home guard unit in malaya. Hearts and minds distinguishes asymmetric warfare, where control and support of the population is vital, from conventional warfare. On the right of this picture is wong fook seng, the commander of the unit. Sir gerald templer, foreword to the conduct of antiterrorist operations in malaya, 1958 edition. The unit existed from 1952 until the end of the emergency in 1960.
Best practices in counterinsurgency by sepp, kalev i. Marshal sir gerald templer associated the phrase hearts and minds with. Winning hearts and minds, a concept popularly accredited to general sir gerald templer, has become one of several key principles in british counterinsurgency operational doctrine. Nori katagiri air war college, maxwell air force base, montgomery. The british experience during the malayan emergency from 1948 to 1960 was a case in which doctrine was wanting. Other contemporary scholars, such as kumar ramakrishna. This approached was closely with the psychological warfare and psychological operation. This book was written on the eve of the arab revolt in britishruled palestine, and helped shape british counterinsurgency strategy during the malayan campaign against procommunist insurgents in the early 1950s. The jungle has been neutralised, he declared in a time magazine cover article in 1952. Guerrilla warfare is nearly as old as warfare itself, and the problems of asymmetric conflict have bedeviled armies and governments for millennia. Sir gerald templer, in malaya, developed the best theory in this period.
Psychological warfare of the malayan emergency 19481960. British general sir gerald templer, would later call. The author points out that too was not recognized during the. Definition of psywar or psyops and, hearts and minds. Templer was briefly head of the german directorate of special operations executive in wwii so he understood unconventional warfare. After the assassination of the high commissioner in 1952, lieutenant general sir gerald templer was sent out to head british operations in malaya. Vice president nixon visits malaya october 1953 home. Counterinsurgency lessons from malaya and vietnam by john a. The life of field marshal sir gerald templer, london. Were getting the malaysia counterinsurgency all wrong.
British tactics gradually shifted from search and destroy to a new counterinsurgency, winning hearts and minds approach. A modest proposal to adjust the principles of war by ltc gian gentile at swj blog. Sir gerald templer, featured on the cover of time magazine. The tide began to turn after sir gerald templer arrived in 1952 to replace the assassinated high commissioner, sir gerald gurney. Psychological operations black deceptive and white truthful. Templers efforts in malaya developed and expanded the british principles of.
The phase winning heart and minds introduce by sir gerald templer, the british high commissioner in malaya on 1954. General sir gerald templers period as high commissioner for malaya 195254 has provoked considerable and enduring controversy. The third phase began in february 1952 with the appointment of sir gerald templer as high commissioner. Sir gerald templer also launched psychological warfare upon the communist terrorists by the campaign winning the hearts and minds of the people as he realized that the use of force and weapons alone will not be enough to.
Last week 1st week of may 1952 britains dynamic general sir gerald templer, new high commissioner for malaya, upped the price on the heads of 26 of malayas communist guerrilla leaders. Malayan emergency asian history dog runs insurgent guerrilla history books armed forces warfare geography. The japanese had practical war tactics, such as using the bicycle even in the. But for 31yearold chin peng, believed hiding in the pahang jungles, templer offered the highest reward.
The men who stare at goats by jon ronson, midnight hunter by brianna hale, gone girl by gillian flynn, antidote b. Although the concept has been frequently mentioned, it has rarely been systematically examined. Lawrences aphorism that making war upon insurgents is messy and slow, like eating soup with a knife is difficult to fully appreciate until you have done it. General sir gerald templer possessed the ideal leadership qualities necessary to defeat an insurgency and thus was able to shift the balance of power in favor of the british during the malaya emergency. How should the armed forces organize to work with civil authorities in military operations other than war mootw. The special operations volunteer force was a special program developed by the british and malayan authorities during the malayan emergency. He is best known for his defeat of the guerrilla rebels in malaya between 1952 and 1954. Field marshal sir gerald walter robert templer, 11 september 1898 25 october 1979 was a senior british army officer who fought in both the world wars.
The shift in emphasis put the mcp on the defensive for the first time. Templer was considerably lucky during the war, having not been wounded, although. The various techniques are used, by any set of groups, and aimed to. He is widely credited with turning the situation in favour of. The plan succeeded in eradicating communist violence use of military force sir gerald templer used army force to fight the communists he recruited 67,000 malay special soldiers and formed home guards systems with 210,000 strength he also sought assistance from the commonwealths military c 6 more aggressive attacks were launched. Field marshal sir gerald walter robert templer, kg, gcb, gcmg, kbe, dso 11 september. Malayan emergency psychological warfare thing 1 first world problems pre and post insurgent health and safety military history armed forces. Sir gerald templer and his assistant, major lord wynford extreme left are seen with members of kinta valley home guard. Known for his fiery personality, templer built upon the strategic successes gained under briggs.
Analysis of the malaysian communists customwritings. The use of psychological warfare and direct propaganda at the. This book covers some of the techniques of psyops by the practitioners of this dark art of warfare. Too with being the mastermind behind the british psychological operations that destroyed the communist insurgent movement. Field marshal sir gerald walter robert templer, kg, gcb, gcmg, kbe, dso 11 september 1898 25 october 1979 was a senior british army officer who fought in both the world wars. Field marshal sir gerald walter robert templer kg, gcb, gcmg, kbe 11 september 189825 october 1979 was a british military commander. The malayan emergency began during the aftermath of the second world war. It contends that the revisionists overlook the decisive psychological impact of templer s malayan sojourn. Templers tactics against the communists were held up as a model for counterinsurgency operations.
The most significant aspect of templers handling of the emergency was his desire to win the hearts and minds of the people. General sir gerald templer now attempted to better understand the enemy. It contends that the revisionists overlook the decisive psychological impact of. The prevailing orthodoxy holds that templer laid the foundations for eventual victory by injecting new life into a moribund colonial administration, introducing new methods of police training and new jungle tactics, revamping the intelligence system and intensifying the. If we were to combine all the successful operational practices from a century of counterinsurgent warfare, the summary would suggest a campaign outline to combat the insurgency in presentday iraq. Infobox military person name sir gerald walter robert templer lived11 september 1898 ndash. Lessons of malaya for counterinsurgents in the 21st century. Psychological warfare of the malayan emergency psywar. Assessing the british counterinsurgency effort in malaya.
This article rebuts recent attempts to diminish sir gerald templers role in the malayan emergency. Field marshal sir gerald walter robert templer kg, gcb, gcmg, kbe, dso 11 september 189825 october 1979 was a british military commander who fought in both world wars. Field marshal sir gerald walter robert templer kg free download as powerpoint presentation. Psychological warfare and operations psyops also referred to as political warfare is the art and science of popular persuasion employ prior, during and after hostilities. As chief of the imperial general staff, the professional head of the british army, from 195558, he was prime minister. Britain and irregular warfare in the past, present, and future.
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