If enemy airstrikes are ongoing and air dominance has been achieved by the enemy, the ability to conduct coordinated strategic counterattacks is severely limited.
Counterattacks that occur in such situations often represent the implementation of old operational plans, prepared before the command system was disrupted.²
Thus, such counterattacks do not necessarily reflect new strategic capabilities, but rather the inertia of pre-existing operational plans.
- Difficulty Coordinating Military Operations
In modern warfare doctrine, effective military operations require simultaneous coordination between troop movements, fire support, logistics, and communications.
When the command system is disrupted, each military element tends to prioritize the safety of its own unit, making tactical decisions locally, thus reducing coordination with other elements.
This condition results in fragmented military operations, ultimately reducing the overall effectiveness of the war.³
4. Declining Popular Support
Every war has political and social dimensions. Therefore, Carl von Clausewitz stated that war is the continuation of politics by other means, making political legitimacy and popular support crucial factors in the continuation of war.⁴
When a country experiences severe economic pressure, prolonged leadership, and prolonged social hardship, popular support for the war will usually decline.
Under such conditions, the public often desires an end to suffering and the restoration of stability rather than an uncertain military victory.
5. The Ultimate Goal of War: Victory or Peace
Classically, the goal of war is to achieve strategic victory, but in modern practice, victory often means forcing the opposing side to accept an end to the war under certain conditions.