Petty warfare

Petty Warfare (Russian: малая война, also transliterated as malaya voyna) is a form of irregular warfare where small units attack the enemy's support operation to ensure that the main force enjoys favorable conditions for decisive battles. Petty warfare can be used in both ground and naval combat. The term first appeared during the eighteenth century, and was subsequently developed by Russian and Soviet tacticians.

Petty warfare term (German: Kleinkrieg or kleiner Krieg), was first adopted in early modern period by German people, and later on used in Russian literature of the 18th and 19th centuries, to refer to a particular form of warfare in which small units – avoiding collisions with larger military forces – attack communication and small fortified posts, enemy convoys, armory, etc.

Petty warfare is similar to later-born Spanish term guerrilla (literally, "little war"), but differs from it by its sole use of special military forces, whereas guerrilla warfare includes armed civilians and irregular military. During Napoleonic wars when the use of civilians in military actions became widespread, the term “little war” or petty warfare in Germany was superseded by “people’s war” concept (German: volkskrieg).

It was common for writers of nineteenth century to write about people’s war against Napoleon describing the events that took place on Russian territory. In Russia during the beginning of nineteenth century number of books on theory of petty warfare was published, which later on was included as part of officer examination.

The term “little war” was created at the times of cumbersome system of arsenal supply during early modern period, when the main means of transport were horses and carts.

Events of the Seven Years’ War is full of examples of how the supply troubles often arose due to the capture of transports, stores destruction. These attacks led to the breakdown of planned large-scale military operations. For example, for this reason, new expedition of Russian troops to Berlin in late 1761 failed after Prussian Lieutenant General von Platen in September 15, 1761 captured Russian convoy of 5,000 wagons and burned a number of stores that were prepared for the expedition. Similarly around the same time, Prussian garrison surrendered, because Serbian hussars under command of Peter Tekeli intercepted their convoy that went from Stetina to Kohlberg (now Kolobrzeg, Poland), which was full of gunpowder stocks and bombs.

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