Chapter 8: War and Strife Flashcards
War
organized deliberate violence by at least 2 identifiable political authorities
Interstate
better known wars, involving states that have recognizable leadership, borders, and formal military
ex: WW11 (decline in interstate)
Intrastate
A war that is within a state, wars of independence, civil wars, between two factions within a state
intrastate can become an interstate
Syrian Civil War, Vietnam War, Korean War
Total War
Conflicts involving massive loss of life, widespread destruction featuring major powers.
Usually because of radical ideas or religion
ex: thirty years war
WW1, WW2
Limited War
may be limited by the goals pursued, types of weapons, and resources needed
ex: Korean War 1950-53 (Started as limited war: US and UN forces mobilized to prevent conquest of South Korea by North – China intervened)
What do states fight over?
Territory
Other states’ national politics
Other states’ regime types
Why do wars happen?
- War from incomplete information & resolve
ex: Gulf War 1991 - War from indivisibility
- indivisible good cannot be divided without diminishing its value
-conflict becomes all or nothing
Ex: Jerusalem causes conflict because its “indivisible good”
As we saw earlier in the chapter, the city of Jerusalem—which is home to important holy sites for Jews, Muslims, and Christians—is sometimes cited as an example of an indivisible good that causes conflict. However, there may be ways of dividing apparently indivisible goods, such as shared control or compensation. Some have proposed that conflict over Jerusalem could be resolved if Israelis and Palestinians shared control of key areas. - War from commitment problems
- bargaining over good that are a source of power- North Korea and Iran, negotiating on nuclear proliferation
- preventative war: getting involved with the intention of preventing a power from getting stronger
- US war against Iraq
- North Korea and Iran, negotiating on nuclear proliferation
Indivisible good
- indivisible good cannot be divided without diminishing its value
-conflict becomes all or nothing
Ex: Jerusalem causes conflict because its “indivisible good”
As we saw earlier in the chapter, the city of Jerusalem—which is home to important holy sites for Jews, Muslims, and Christians—is sometimes cited as an example of an indivisible good that causes conflict. However, there may be ways of dividing apparently indivisible goods, such as shared control or compensation. Some have proposed that conflict over Jerusalem could be resolved if Israelis and Palestinians shared control of key areas.
Causes of war by level of analysis
- individual: (first image)
- misperception by leaders.
- overestimating one’s power and underestimating opponent’s power
- human nature - state/society:
- Radicals believe capitalism cause conflict.
- struggle between groups for economic resources,
- domestic politics, scapegoating - System:
- anarchy (self-help)
- power transitions
- aggressiveness of the international capitalist class (imperialism)
Compellence
an effort to change status quo through a threat of force
ex: change y or else
Deterrence
an effort to preserve the status quo by threatening the other party if they seek change
ex: if you attack me this will happen to you
deterrence for a friend
Preventative War
a war fought to prevent a power from becoming more stronger
ex: US vs Iraq
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
- to provide collective security against Soviet Union
Peacekeeping and stabilization roles in Bosnia
In 1999 it undertook the largest military operation since its creation in 1949, operation allied forces, the air war over Serbia
w/o UN authorization they conducted a 78 day air war against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to attempt to stop attacks against ethnic Albanians in the Serbian province of Kosovo
Membership expansion:
In 1999, first wave of new members added after end of cold war
- Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic
- They were contributors to enhance security in the region, not just to receive umbrella protection
Second wave of members admitted in 2004:
- Estonia, LAtvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, and Bulgaria
- Albania, Croatia formally joined in 2009
Making the total NATO memberships to 28, and 22 partnerships for peace memberships and 7 Mediterranean Dialogue states.
Responsibility to protect (R2P)
After WW2, the notion has emerged that all human beings deserve protection and the states have the obligation to intervene
in the case of massive violations of human rights, when domestic avenues violate these rights, states have the responsibility to intervene
humanitarian intervention
the tradition of war asserts that military intervention by states or the international community may be justified to alleviate massive violations of human rights
political violence
the use of political force by states or non state actors to achieve political goals
Civil War
Intra state
an armed combat within the boundaries of a sovereign state between parties that are subject to common authority at the start of hostilities
ex: Independent Wars
North and South Sudan by religious difference
more common
RAPID INCREASE OF CIVIL WARS
- spread of nationalism
- increased availibility of small arms
- financing from drugs, diamonds, and oil
on average lasts more than 10 years
why do civil wars cluster?
one theory = contagion hypothesis–a rebellion in one country might inspire like-minded groups in neighboring states.
another possibility is that poor countries (more likely to cause civil war) cluster together, poor countries border other poor countries.
what matters is whether or not any bordering state is actually experiencing a civil war, in which case there is real danger of contagion
- South and North Sudan were marked by religious differences
- South Sudanese population is mostly Christian, but was under the Arab rule of the central government in Khartoum.
- led to a man made famine after south sudan gained independence from sudan
Civil Wars: Opportunities and Interests
DRC - democratic republic of Congo
1996 an internal rebellion broke out against against a dictator Mobutu Sese Seko
both Rwanda and Uganda supported the rebellion
After Mobutu was out they were replaced with a new leader Laurent Kabilia, a bigger war erupted later
the people who supported the rebellion were now against the new ruler
allows opts for dictatorship
human right violations
Opportunities: State weakness, Colonial legacies, Flimsy political institutions,
What are the different opportunities for civil wars to emerge and the interests of those that start it?
state weakness, colonial legacies(flimsy political institutions), the international context, poverty, and geography
Their interests are: cultural grievances, greed, pressure to join (coercive recruitment), individual psychology
What can be done about war?
In post-conflict situations, the UN has changed its approach from simply peacekeeping to nation/state-building:
- Restore the capacity of failed states to ensure law and order
- Enforceable code of laws
- A functioning court system
- Training of a new police body
- Reconstruction of political and administrative institutions
- Democratic reforms
- Economic assistance
Terrorism
the unlawful use of violence and intimidation against civilians to send a political message
Extremists
a person who holds extreme political/religious view and resorts and advocates extreme action
violence, extreme messages
