2006-06-26T09:37:00.000-06:00

Cui bono?

(To whose profit?)

Cicero, Pro Milone

1. SOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT INSURRECTION.

in·sur·rec·tion: an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government.

Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin insurrection-, insurrectio, from insurgere www.m-w.com/dictionary/insurrection

insurgere: to rise up , raise oneself up; to increase in power or force; with dat. to rise up against.

The word insurrection comes from the Latin term insurgere. In Latin, this term means to rise up, to raise oneself up, or to increase in power or force. Within this concept, there is a definition of change of position and state. Therefore, the term insurgere can be related to a space where this position changes. Where does this change of position take place? How does this space work?

2. CASE STUDY: GUERRILLAS

guer·ril·la a person who engages in irregular warfare especially as a member of an independent unit carrying out harassment and sabotage.

Etymology: Spanish guerrilla, from diminutive of guerra war.

Guerrillas can be an example of insurrection. Guerrilla is related to insurgere because it is a group of people with the will to a change their position or state. A complex network of forces interact in order to produce this insurrectional activities. Looking at different kind of guerrillas, some of these forces can be observed and compared. However, the definition of this territory is not necessaringly the three dimensional physical space. This change of position takes place in a n-dimensional space. Territory becomes deformable by other forces.

2.1. CASE STUDY 1: GUERRILLAS IN SPAIN, 1808-1814

2.1.1. GUERRILLERO "EL EMPECINADO"

El Empecinado was one of the most important guerrilleros in Spain. Born in 1775, he was initially a farmer in Valladolid, Spain. He began training in the art of war when he enrolled the military campaign in the French-Spanish War of the Pyrenees (1793-1795), being 18 years old. When he was 21, he got married and settled his farm. His guerrilla attacks showed to be successful, being all of these in the same year: Aranda del Duero, Sepulveda, Pedraza, throughout the Duero river basin. The year afterwards, he extended his field of action to the nearby mountains (Gredos, Avila, Salamanca, Cuenca y Guadalajara).

Later on, the English army arrived to Spain. The guerrillas supported their attacks by means of distraction of the enemy, and protecting the communication ways of the Spanish-English army. In 1811 the total number of men he commanded raised up to 6000. In fact, he was placed in command of a whole regiment. On May 22nd 1813, El Empecinado assisted in the defense of Madrid, battling in a river. This time they defeated a French force twice their size.

2.1.2. ATTACKS IN ARANDA DE DUERO

Diagram 01-A: Perspective. Deformation of territory through pressure and path. "El Empecinado" territory.

Diagram 01-B: Deformation of territory through pressure and path. "El Empecinado" territory.

After two open-field defeats, El Empecinado decided to try a system of guerrilla warfare, moving their attacks mainly to the Duero river basin. The first attack was an intercept of a French militar message. Gradually, his guerrilla would attack on the main communication way between the North and center of Spain. By these means, they seized the convoys of supplies, money, armaments and messages. The general characteristics of their warfare strategy were:

1- His guerrilla group was highly disciplined from the begining. In fact, he payed an economic reguard to "anyone who took arms to defend the country".

2- The initial aim of the guerrillas was to attack the communication lines of the French army. Napoleon´s message courriers traveled protected by one or two cavalry regiments. The guerrilla attacked in a short, unexpected strike.

3- The rough landscape of the river basin allowed them to hide before and after the strike. Their knowledge of the territory was a main advantage.

4- The guerrillas never attacked Napoleon´s army main force, that is in open-field, where Napoleon´s army was clearly superior.This way, they could preserve they resources.

5- The sophistication of their tools was poor, because they were farmers and didn´t have much resources. However, their ability to use these tools was high, because they had years experience in using these tools.

6- The guerrillas counted with the support of the Spaniards living nearby the attacks to provide them with supplies.

7- The weather conditions of the Spanish plain played an important role against French army. The guerrillas, unlike Napoleon´s army, were used to that weather and could react more efficently to the harsh climate conditions.

8- After each succesive attack, the guerrilla became notably stronger, because each attack provided them with new supplies (food, armament, etc.).

9- After each attack, Napoleon´s army became weaker in moral terms. Eventhough the guerrilla would not always strike the couriers, the consciousness of their presence would gradually demoralize the French army.

This way, the damage to Napoleon’s army rose to such level that Napoleon himself commanded a French General, Joseph Leopold Hugo, to “pursue exclusively” this guerrilla and their commander. After a relentless and unsuccessful pursuit, the French general Hugo ended up arresting the mother and other members of El Empecinado. As a reaction, El Empecinado executed 100 French prisoners of war. Consequently, his mother and family were released.

2.1.3. DIAGRAMS OF TERRITORY DEFORMATION

Diagram 02-A: Deformation of territory through pressure and path. Perspective. Diverse guerrilleros in Spain, Independence war 1808-1814.

2.2. CASE STUDY 2: ART GUERRILLA

Diagram 03-A: Deformation of territory through pressure and path. Perspective. Warefare, art, and marketing guerrilla.

How do we expose sexism, racism and corruption in politics, art, film and pop culture? With facts, humor and outrageous visuals.
Guerrilla Girls

2.3. CASE STUDY 3: MARKETING GUERRILLA

Guerrilla marketing warfare strategies are minor but precisely focused attacks. The marketing enemy, or competence, cannot be identified in a single commercial company, but rather in a more difuse group. For example, guerrilla marketing strategies to promote a movie do not compete against a single movie.
The attack strategy usually is extremely precise and focused, describing a repeated sequence of attack, retreat and hide.
“Guerrilla forces never win wars, but their adversaries often lose them”.

3. DIAGRAMS 3.1. DIAGRAMS OF DEFORMATION AND DISPLACEMENT OF BOUNDARIES

Diagram 05-A: Deformation of boundaries through attacks and displacement through space, tools and level of isolation. Warfare, art, and marketing guerrillas.

4. WHAT DOES IT MAKE TO CONTROL A TERRITORY?

How do these boundaries actually work? How is the knowledge of a territory applied?

The general idea of controlling a territory.

1- What are the conditions?

1.1.- Precise knowledge of the field of action. That is, control of movement within it. Control of the factors that may interfere in the speed, intensity and lenght of movement. For example, control of:

-weather conditions

-geographical conditions

2- What are the tools to enable movement in those conditions?

The knowledge in depth of the field of action involves little effort in controlling it. The tools to move in that territory are basic but highly effective. Freedom of move

1.2.-

surreactive space