Midterm Flashcards
Cold War
The Cold War was the geopolitical, ideological, and economic struggle between two world superpowers, the USA and the USSR, that started in 1947 at the end of the Second World War and lasted until the dissolution of the Soviet Union on December 26, 1991.Nov
Communism vs. Nationalism
Proxy Wars
A proxy war is an armed conflict between two states or non-state actors which act on the instigation or on behalf of other parties that are not directly involved in the hostilities
Greed
- Economic motivations and explanations to conflicts
Eg. control over resources; poverty
Grievance
- Socio-political motivations and explanations to conflicts
eg. resentment against inequality - selfless
Rationality in social sciences
- Economic approach
- Rationality is an assumption
- Cost benefit analysis with the information at the time- limited
- Rational utility maximizing
WWI
Mutual defensive alliances – International system 2. Imperialism & Militarism – Competition for resources in the colonial world • Africa and Asia 3. Nationalism
How have wars changed since WWI
more intrastate and proxy
nuclear
Survival
the first priority for state leaders, emphasize by historical realists such as Machiavelli, Meinecke, and Weber
Unipolarity
a distribution of power internationally in which there is clearly only one dominant power or ‘pole’.
Unipolarity
a distribution of power internationally in which there is clearly only one dominant power or ‘pole’.
3 Dynamics of Conflcit
- Alliances in Europe
- NATO vs. Warsaw Pact - Arms Race (deterrence & MAD)
- Nuclear bombs
- Intercontinental missiles
- Anti-ballistic system - Proxies war in the Third world
- Becomes a way for countries to still fight one another