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Logistic Culmination – One or Two Sides of the Coin? An Observation From a Different Point of View   Logistic culmination can be compared to a stretched rubber band. If combat units moves in direction away from the supplies the rubber band will gradually stretch. The rubber band will eventually burst and at that point the logistic culmination will be a fact. But if the rubber band was to be let go before bursting, it will instead be contracted. At the maximum contraction point the rubber band will for a split second be wider. Could this metaphor show that there exists an opposite way of reaching logistic culmination?   This essay borrows an old culmination concept from astronomy and utilizes it within logistic culmination. Astronomic culmination has two underlying perspectives, the upper and lower culmination point, in contrast to logistic culmination which only has one perspective. These two points are connected by being each other’s opposites.   By setting the current meaning of logistic culmination as the upper culmination point the author aims at finding out the lower culmination point and examines the connection between these two points.   The examination is built on a statement that there exist two underlying perspectives within logistics, just as in astronomy with the upper and lower culmination point. If the examination of the concept will succeed a wider understanding of how logistic culmination occurs could be achieved. If the lower logistic culmination point can be verified it could mean that logistic culmination within military science can change, which also could affect military planning.   The statement taken has with logic assumptions showed that there are two underlying perspectives in logistics just like astronomy. Logistic culmination as it is explained today has given only half of the meaning compared to how this concept ought to be viewed according to this essay. This essay gives the concept logistic culmination more precision compared to the former meaning.

Kulmination är ett väletablerat teoretiskt begrepp inom högintensiv krigföring som förklarar hur relativ styrka förändras mellan motståndare. Kulmination är dock relativt oprövat i lågintensiva konflikter och särskilt inom gerillakrigföring. Forskningsläget kring kulmination identifierar att betydelsen av omslag i relativ styrka för en gerillaaktör behöver ytterligare förklaras. Utifrån ett grundläggande antagande att en gerillaaktörs kan nå kulmination i sin krigföring öppnar undersökningen upp den kausala processen mellan upprorsbekämpning och en motgång i gerillaaktörens krigföring genom att pröva en deduktivt framtagen kulminationsmodell. Undersökningen processpårar en kulminationsmekanism vid två typiska fall av gerillakrigföring: al-Qaeda i Irak (AQI) 2003-2009 och Islamiska staten (IS) 2010-2016. Resultatet visar att denformulerade kulminationsmodellen får i huvudsak stöd och kulminationsmekanismen existerar i undersökningens fall. Viss generalisering kan göras till andra liknande fall men slutsatserna är inledningsvis preliminära. Undersökningens resultat vidgar kulminationsbegreppets teoretiska generaliserbarhet och praktiska användbarhet och kompletterar även Galulas teoribildning om upprorsbekämpning.

Earlier studies of culmination tend to put operations first and logistics second, as an underlying factor to the culminating point. This case study aims to revert this relationship and focuses solely on the causes for logistical culmination. Utilizing Kress theory of responsiveness, factors directly linked to a culmination within thelogistical organisation are studied to improve the understanding of logistical culmination. The cases studied are operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and operation Iraqi Freedom. These cases are interesting due to the fact that one case closes the logistical gap and manages to provide a responsive logistical chain, while the other in spite of completed preparations, reaches logistical culmination. The study finds that an under-responsive chain can more strongly be linked to logistical culmination. Factors such as insufficient resources, miscommunication, decision-making and infrastructure play a vital role in forming as well as avoiding a logistical culmination.

The branch Logistics is often given lower priority during field exercises when combat units are supposed to be trained. In wars, conflicts and operations do the interest increase remarkably of being delivered ammunition, fuel and food. Without logistical support it is hard to advance on the scene, but is it even so hard that the lack of logistics can generate the own culmination? The purpose with this Bachelor’s thesis is to show the logistics importance during the planning and transaction phases for an operation. On June 6 1944, the Allied forces invaded Normandy, in order to defeat Hitler’s imperium and reach the end of the Second World War. The operation was called Overlord, and was both in the number of men and combat power, as well as, in a logistical manner an enormous achievement. In consideration of answering the research questions, the author has by literature studies analyzed operation Overlord and its impact on the culmination of the Second World War. Research questions: How does logistics affect the culminating point in warfare? What logistical maneuvers during Operation Overlord can be referred to reasons for the Second World War’s culmination point? The results manifests how the logistical maneuvers, like Mulberry Harbour, Red ball Express and PLUTO, caused a possibility to advance through Normandy, France and thereafter against Germany. Although that, it is hard to automatically say that innovations like these are the absolute reason for the culminating point. By using the factors in Mårtensson’s model, that is increasing or decreasing the speed towards the culmination, the analysis shows that logistics has a huge impact on the outcome.

This thesis examines the applicability of culminations theory in a guerrilla context. In battle, a crucial factor is to assess who has superior strength. Culmination theory is a central concept in conventional warfare, could the same theory support the analysis of guerrilla warfare?Previous research tends to focus on the results of guerrilla wars. By using the concept of culmination this research attempts to determine, by assessing the battle, whether the guerrilla reached the point of culmination and by that evaluate the applicability of culmination theory in guerrilla warfare.The research design consists of a two-case study to analyse the LTTE and Daesh and thereby highlight culmination theory’s applicability on guerrillas. Written documents are used as sources of empirical data for the two-case study. The result of the survey shows that LTTE and Daesh reached their defensive point of culmination and that culmination theory is generalizable in a similar guerrilla context.