Morgenthau Flashcards
introduction to mrogenthau
• MORGENTHAU – most important scholar in IR history
• Politics among nations – 1948 – fund of international relations in US
• 6 principles of political REALISM
• based on here assumptions
1. statesman desire to pursue their national interest
2. interest of nation lies in the expansion of its territorial, economic, cultural and political influence
3. states use their power for protecting and furthering national interest
vietnam war introduction
• Vietnam war, 1961-1964 (declaration of war) - 1973
o One of the most criticised war of the US – 55,000 deaths, incredible amount of money
o Usually explained by the superpower conflict in the context of the cold war
6 principles of politcial realism
- politics is governed by laws rooted in human nature reason + experience
- • IR are guided by political interest in terms of power
o USA interest to be more powerful on global scale
Power = n. of territories and states that identifies themselves with capitalism than communism - • interest changes over time
o due to second principle interest = power interest = number of states that adhere to capitalism
o change over time and change with the advance of the cold war - o political action should be judged by political consequences rather than ethics
♣ weighting of consequences of action is a virtue in politics - • moral aspiration of one nation-state are not the same as the moral law of universe
• WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE WORLD CAN BE BAD FOR US
• Nations pursue their national interest which is not the same as everyone else’s
♣ The united states as a superpower and as a leader of the free world, wants to impose its moral aspiration to the world
♣ United states exceptionalism theory (patman) believes that America is:
• a higher nation of the world as its founding principles are superior to the others
• formed from God in order to spread democracy, liberty and equality = special destiny believes it’s its duty to spread these values and this is why it joined the Vietnam war - • politics is an autonomous sphere, independent of economics and personal morality
• fp based on national interest
principle 1 and vietnam war
• politics is governed by laws rooted in human nature reason + experience
o 1956 vietn cong invasion of south Vietnam
o 1964 north Vietnam attacks on the USS Maddox
• law: attack-defence defence against north Vietnam would be the united states declaration of war to North Vietnam ‘operation rolling thunder’ which would eliminate the vietcong jungle cover and bring peace back to south Vietnam = to the us as well since the us and north Vietnam were allied
• domino theory widespread belief that if one country would fall to communism all the neighbouring countries were
o experience: east Europe – iron curtain
o cant afford it to happen in east asia as well
♣ korea
♣ china
principle 2 and vietnam war
• IR are guided by political interest in terms of power
o USA interest to be more powerful on global scale
o Power = n. of territories and states that identifies themselves with capitalism than communism us gets involved in Vietnam in order to increase it’s power
♣ North Vietnam identified itself as a single-part democratic republic – socialist party communist over capitalist country
♣ 1959 north Vietnam and the vietcong were able to win against the south Vietnam army decreasing the power of the united states in south Vietnam
principle 3 and vietnam war
• interest changes over time
o due to second principle interest = power interest = number of states that adhere to capitalism
o change over time and change with the advance of the cold war
o when in 1959 north Vietnam won against south Vietnam the US’s interest and power decreased greatly hence sent 16,2000 troops + advisors in 1961 to fight against the Vietcong
o in 64 when the uss Maddox was attacked this decreased greatly the power of the united states as it
♣ physically decreased its
♣ internationally put into question the US power in its interest to protect that declares war on the same day
• third principle explains the involvement in the Vietnam war as interest due to the second principle can be defined in terms of power that we saw can be defined in number of countries adhering to capitalism therefore it was in the us tnerest to keep north Vietnam a democratic capitalism political system and to do so it had to aid it in the war with north Vietnam
principle 4 and vietnam war
o political action should be judged by political consequences rather than ethics
♣ weighting of consequences of action is a virtue in politics
o lose its power in the southeast asian region against china if south korea wouldn’t have been protected from communism – principle 2
o DOMINO THEORY: the political consequences of making south Vietnam fall to communism were higher than sending national armed forces to die
o
♣ Misjudged only in 1968 15,000 US troops died
• political consequence was higher as this lead to great domestic opposition and political fraction Johnson refuses second term
principle 5 and vietnam war
• moral aspiration of one nation-state are not the same as the moral law of universe
• WHAT IS GOOD FOR THE WORLD CAN BE BAD FOR US
• Nations pursue their national interest which is not the same as everyone else’s
♣ The united states as a superpower and as a leader of the free world, wants to impose its moral aspiration to the world
♣ United states exceptionalism theory (patman) believes that America is:
• a higher nation of the world as its founding principles are superior to the others
• formed from God in order to spread democracy, liberty and equality = special destiny believes it’s its duty to spread these values and this is why it joined the Vietnam war
♣ principle 5 doesn’t explain the Vietnam war as principle 5 is not believed to apply to the united states
principle 6 an vietnam war
• politics is an autonomous sphere, independent of economics and personal morality
• fp based on national interest
♣ political action in Vietnam was taken without considering the economic and humanitarian consequences of it as the choice was taken simply considering the political sphere
• economic: 141B$ in 14 years
• humanitarian: 60,000 people
♣ political action was necessary to defend us and us reputation as Vietnam was attacking the USS Maddox in 1964
