Military Anthropology: When Culture Becomes a Battlefield

Is it possible to wage war using culture? According to Polish scholars Robert Boroch and Anna Korzeniowska-Bihun, not only is it possible—it’s already happening.

In their article Preface to a special issue of Wiedza Obronna, the authors introduce a new paradigm of military anthropology. While the field itself dates back to ancient times, it has recently evolved into a powerful lens for understanding modern hybrid warfare. Drawing on both Russian and American approaches, Boroch and Korzeniowska-Bihun argue that today’s battles are no longer fought solely with weapons. They’re also fought with symbols, stories, and traditions.

Culture, once viewed as a passive set of behaviors, is now a strategic resource. Russian war doctrine—while not explicitly defining this shift—has embraced cultural production (literature, film, theatre, art) as a way to influence public opinion and reshape geopolitical narratives. This isn’t new, but the scale and precision with which it’s being done are unprecedented.

The authors propose Operational Area 6: Culture, extending NATO’s traditional military domains to include the social and cultural environment. In this space, new terms emerge: anthropological aggression, anthropological defense, and anthropological espionage. These concepts help us understand how identity, language, and heritage are manipulated or protected in the context of war.

Living in Central Europe, the authors do not have the luxury of academic detachment. The Russian invasion of Ukraine makes this research urgent and deeply personal.

This issue of Wiedza Obronna is not just an academic contribution. It’s a call to recognize culture as a critical front line in modern warfare.

Full article in Wiedza Obronna, 2021, Vol. 274 No. 1