Declassified U.S. Army Guerrilla Warfare Handbook (FM 31-21)
The original U.S. Army field manual on guerrilla warfare and special forces operations. Covers organization, tactics, intelligence, and logistics for unconventional warfare campaigns. Declassified 1961 edition used as foundational doctrine for irregular warfare training worldwide.
Key Takeaways
- Official U.S. Army doctrine on guerrilla warfare and special operations
- Organization of guerrilla forces — command, logistics, communications
- Intelligence and counterintelligence in unconventional warfare
- Psychological operations and civil-military coordination
- Declassified — public domain, legally hosted
This is the source document that trained generations of U.S. special forces operators in guerrilla warfare. Understanding the state's own doctrine for unconventional warfare is essential for anyone studying resistance movements, asymmetric conflict, or the operational frameworks behind insurgency and counterinsurgency.
FM 31-21 was published by the U.S. Department of the Army in 1961 during the Cold War buildup of special operations capability. It codified lessons from WWII OSS operations, Korean War irregular warfare, and early Vietnam advisory missions. Now declassified and in the public domain.
Companion texts for unconventional warfare study:
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