ABSTRACT
Joint operations by forces of the rear were comparatively rare in the last war, and the performance of the individual forces was not always in line with expectations: some did distinctly better and others less well than anticipated. The Soviet Russians had every reason to feel disappointment with their airborne troops, but if so, it was not due to their performance but to the unimaginative planning of their missions. The main surprise of the last war, as far as the forces of the rear were concerned, was no doubt caused by the partisan performance, from the Philippines to France and from Norway to Ethiopia. Nuclear warfare has added new weapons to the armoury but it has not made all conventional weapons obsolete. It offers on the battlefield a choice of weapons, tactical nuclear and conventional ones.
