ABSTRACT
The paradox of surprise is actually one of the few paradoxes that are not empirically rare. A surprise attack is one wherein the military and political establishment of the target state failed to assess correctly the intention of the attacker, its actual plan of attack, or its timing. The element of surprise is seen as a key determinant of success in military strategy. An advantage of surprise attack is that the initial success of the attack defines to a large extent the rules of combat, although this is due more to the initiation act than to surprise. A key element of surprise attack is timing. A government might be in the midst of purges and suppression of opposition groups in the army or in other sectors of the society that make up national power, but the initial success of the surprise attack imposes on the government a need to declare a truce in its domestic struggles.
