LIT1: Freedman, L. (2007). War, “Chapter 1: Introduction”, pp. 3-8 Oxford: Oxford University Press. Flashcards
What is the role of War according to Freedman?
Wars have shaped the international system and prompted social change.
They are at the same time products of social and economic development, and threats to continuing progress.
War is a function of ambiguities in the state system.
People, territory, resources, and power are distributed unevenly.
By definition a state should enjoy a monopoly of legitimate and organized violence within its territorial boundaries.
When that monopoly is seriously challenged, by external aggression or by an internal threat such as a rebellion or secessionist movement, or when it sees opportunities to expand its territory by using force, it can consider itself at war.
It is the severity of the threat, rather than the scale of violence, which makes the difference.
What is Security according to Freedman?
Security is taken to refer to an absence of threat.
- Combination of
○ A physical condition, in the sense of being able to prevent others inflicting harm.
○ A mental condition, in the sense of confidence that this is indeed the case
Because of this mental condition there are aspects of security which have nothing to do with armed force.
When does war occur according to freedman?
Wars tend to occur when there is a doubt about the outcome.
It is not just the quantity and quality of the armies and equipment that will be decisive, it will be:
1. The strategic imagination with which they are deployed.
2. The nerve of the leaders in the face of set-backs
3. Their readiness to exploit breakthroughs
Their ability to forge and sustain alliances and disrupt those of the other side.
Can war be used as a method to solve issues? Freedman
The miseries produced by war encourage the view that wars never solve anything.
Yet war has shaped too many states in the modern world to justify such a generalization. Wars have toppled dictators and liberated oppressed people.
What are the reasons to study war according to freedman?
- The need to prepare to fight more efficiently.
- Very little else in human affairs can be understood without reference to it.
- It can simply be extremely interesting.
“War is the deadliest of sins, and unfortunately sin fascinates.”
However, war is in fact often boring for those involved. There are often long periods of waiting and preparation, while the moments of action are short and extremely confusing.
