I know almost nothing about military, so please someone explain to me: what exactly does it mean for something to “be a doctrine”?
Does it mean “this is what the future military leaders are taught at a university”? Or is it rather some kind of precommitment? (Made by whom? To whom? What are the consequences if it is not followed?) Or is it like generating common knowledge for all military leaders: “these are the rules you have to follow, and you have to punish anyone who breaks these rules or tries to encourage breaking these rules”?
Usually doctrine means what people have been trained to do. In the case of nuclear doctrine, it’s a widely-publicized (to its allies and rivals) statement of intent.
I know almost nothing about military, so please someone explain to me: what exactly does it mean for something to “be a doctrine”?
Does it mean “this is what the future military leaders are taught at a university”? Or is it rather some kind of precommitment? (Made by whom? To whom? What are the consequences if it is not followed?) Or is it like generating common knowledge for all military leaders: “these are the rules you have to follow, and you have to punish anyone who breaks these rules or tries to encourage breaking these rules”?
Usually doctrine means what people have been trained to do. In the case of nuclear doctrine, it’s a widely-publicized (to its allies and rivals) statement of intent.