ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses initiative, flexibility and planning in guerrilla warfare. In any war, the opponents contend for the initiative, whether on a battlefield, in a battle area, in a war zone or in the whole war, for the initiative means freedom of action for an army. Flexibility is a concrete expression of the initiative. The flexible employment of forces is more essential in guerrilla warfare than in regular warfare. One problem of strategy in guerrilla warfare is its coordination with regular warfare. In guerrilla warfare behind the enemy lines, there is a difference between guerrilla zones and base areas. Given a protracted war, the problem of consolidating and expanding base areas constantly arises for every guerrilla unit. Another problem of strategy in guerrilla war concerns the strategic defensive and the strategic offensive. The last problem of strategy in guerrilla war against Japan concerns the relationship of command.
