[Home]History of Quagmire

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Revision 10 . . October 31, 2001 12:39 pm by The Cunctator [*And the 10/31 NYTimes uses the word "quagmire"...]
Revision 9 . . (edit) October 31, 2001 12:00 pm by The Cunctator [*Adding a little proper etymology]
Revision 7 . . October 31, 2001 7:19 am by Egern [Okay, how about this for an actual article instead of a dictionary entry?]
  
Difference (from prior major revision) (author diff)

Changed: 3c3,7
Typically, a quagmire situation occurs when a major power attempts with little success to subdue a foreign guerrilla insurgency. Often matters of national pride or belief in military invincibility are the cause of the lack of an exit strategy. The classic examples of quagmires were the American involvement in the Vietnam War and the Soviet war in Afghanistan. It is often humorously suggested that the best way to resolve the military impasse associated with a quagmire is to simply "declare victory and go home."
Typically, a quagmire situation occurs when a major power attempts with little success to subdue a foreign guerrilla insurgency. Often matters of national pride or belief in military invincibility are the cause of the lack of an exit strategy. The classic examples of quagmires were the American involvement in the Vietnam War and the Soviet war in Afghanistan. It is often humorously suggested that the best way to resolve the military impasse associated with a quagmire is to simply "declare victory and go home."


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[NEWS ANALYSIS: Quagmire Recalled: Afghanistan as Vietnam, New York Times, Oct. 31, 2001]
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