Does millions of civilian guns have any deterring effect on potential invaders?

[Bang]

Long ago it was said that German and Japanese war colleges expressed invasion of the United States a losing proposition due to the percentage of small arms they would have to engage. Real story or not, is civilian resistance abilities an actual factor in today's high-tech long-range surgical strike world? I say yes, because territory still as to be occupied and held by boots on the ground, or what has been gained will be lost.

An acquaintance argues that when residents leave by the millions, (like Ukraine), those remaining are too small in number to be effective and what resistance they do offer will cause additional high-tech devastation.

Thoughts?

[raxar]

Long ago it was said that German and Japanese war colleges expressed invasion of the United States a losing proposition due to the percentage of small arms they would have to engage. Real story or not, is civilian resistance abilities an actual factor in today's high-tech long-range surgical strike world? I say yes, because territory still as to be occupied and held by boots on the ground, or what has been gained will be lost.

An acquaintance argues that when residents leave by the millions, (like Ukraine), those remaining are too small in number to be effective and what resistance they do offer will cause additional high-tech devastation.

Thoughts?

It certainly didn't deter us from invading Afghanistan.

The people at the top who make decision to invade don't care, they figure they'll just round up all the guns once they take over and if a few soldiers die here and there from partisan activity its no skin off their nose.

[Delkal]

Unfortunately I think it will be more like option 2. But we can dream it will be like this.......

[tlnzz1]

It certainly didn't deter us from invading Afghanistan.

Very true, but look at the outcome when you invade another Country, and we had complete control of the air space from the beginning.

[Brick]

Look at the history of the partisan groups VS German forces during WW II. The Partisans were able to tie up many German divisions and kept those soldiers out of the front lines. Look at Vietnam. AFAIK the only places that have defeated insurgencies since WW II has been in Malaya (Brits against Malay ChiComs) and Philippines (Filipinos VS Huk Commies). Insurgencies survive and win as long as the goals stay alive.

[bug]

Not really. Those guns are meant for our leaders, not our enemies.

[wanneroo]

It wouldn't be an attractive proposition to invade and if an UnCivil War kicked off it would really be quite a war.

[Rural Ruger]

Alone and in the wrong environment, probably not a big deterent. NYC, Philly, LA, etc. probably have enough guns to speak of, but they're urban environments with a lower gun per capital ratio. You can take over 100 sq miles and control millions of people in that type of environment.

But you get to the country, and I'd say that starts to change. Lot more ground to cover for an invader, which isnt generally feasible for any force...i.e. more places to hide, with a near infinite number of ways to get away. Fewer people numerically speaking, but everyone is potentially armed, patriotic, etc.

[free]

Ukraine is making a good case for it.

[Manxdriver]

It apparently did NOT deter over 2 million illegal invaders so far this year!