Section IV Flashcards
Conflict of Interests
Conflicts over tangible, material
things. Focused on by materialists
Conflict of Ideas
Conflicts over intangible things, focused on by idea-ists like constructivists
Conflict Resolution
The end of a conflict either by backing down (one or both give up some of their preferences), coexist (both work around it and go on), compromise (arrive at a settlement, each give up something), use leverage to get the other side to do a, b, or, c
Leverage
Using your capabilities to reach a certain outcome that you desire
Total War
Unrestricted warfare by one stage waged to destroy/conquer/occupy another
Limited War
A war in which the weapons used, the nations or territory involved, or the objectives pursued are restricted in some way
Civil War
War between factions within a state trying to create or prevent a new government for the entire state or some territorial part of it
Guerilla War
Warfare without frontlines and with irregular forces operating in the midst of and often hidden or protected by civilian populations
Counterinsurgency
An effort to combat guerrilla armies, often including programs to “win the hearts and minds” of rural populations so that they stop sheltering guerrillas.
Terrorism
The calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to create fear and achieve political objectives, often targeting civilians or governments
Irredentism
A form of nationalism whose goal is to regain territory lost to another state; it can lead directly to violent interstate conflicts
Ethnic Cleansing
Forced displacement of an ethnic group or groups from a territory accompanied by massacres and other human rights violations, it has occurred after the breakup of multinational states
Defense
Repel an attack after it has happened
Deterrence
Threaten to retaliate if attacked, so that other side won’t attack
Compellence / Offense
Attack first to impose your will on the other side, keep attacking until the other side collapses or does what you want
Conventional Weapons
Non-weapons-of-mass-destruction (WMD) that are used in conflict and crime
Absolute Weapons
Weapons that don’t fight other weapons, have a bigger impact, and are usually nuclear
Weapons of Mass Destruction
Nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, all distinguished from conventional weapons by their enormous potential lethality and their relative lack of discrimination in whom they kill.
Strategy
The overarching, long-term plan or approach to achieve national goals
Tactics
The specific, shorter-term actions or maneuvers taken to implement and support that strategy
Second Strike Force
A country’s assured ability to respond to a nuclear attack with powerful nuclear retaliation against the attacker
Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)
The longest-range ballistic missiles, able to travel 5,000 miles
Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile
(SLBM)
A ballistic missile designed to be launched from a submarine, typically with nuclear warheads,
Non-Proliferation Treaty
Established in 1968, a treaty that created a framework for controlling the spread of nuclear materials and expertise
