HOW DID WE GET HERE?

From hybrid warfare to a disinformation machine, Donald Trump’s insurrection did not happen overnight.

Early readers of Narativ from when it was a blog will recall terms like hybrid warfare and Gerasimov’s Doctrine. These are abstract military concepts unfamiliar to most of us for whom war is a far away thing.

When Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021 they were the embodiment of a hybrid war transforming into kinetic action. A rare historic and political event that was also testament to the effectiveness of this mostly Russian-practised military art of hybrid warfare.

In a traditional war, two sides face off against each other on either side of a front line. When the shooting begins, it’s very obvious who is firing.

In a hybrid war, disinformation agents, cyber hackers, bribed officials and embedded foreign operatives all operate simultaneously on different fronts. When there is no front the firing can appear to be coming from your own side, or from everywhere…