War & Peace Flashcards
Define peace.
The absence of war.
Define justice.
The sense of fairness being applied.
Define sanctity of life.
The idea that life is special or sacred.
What are conventional weapons?
Weapons such as guns, knives, planes, ships and tanks. These have ordinary ammunition and impact. Most armed forces work with conventional weapons. They are allowed by the Geneva Conventions; they are controllable and manageable in terms of their target.
What are nuclear weapons?
Weapons I mass destruction which kill immediately, and their potential to destroy is long-lasting, even after they have exploded. Their effect can not be controlled in any clear way. There has never been a nuclear war, and it is believed that should one begin, the world would be destroyed.
What are chemical weapons?
Weapons which have a warhead with a device containing chemicals, eg. the bombs released with mustard gas during WWI, or the napalm bombs which the US army dropped on Vietnam; the napalm sticks to the skin, but it burns as it does so. They cannot be controlled very well. These are not acceptable under the Geneva Conventions.
What is biological warfare?
This involves weapons, which release biological agents, such as viruses, when they are exploded. The content can often be carried by the wind through great distances. Their aim is to kill or disable people via illness. They are not acceptable under the Geneva Conventions.
Briefly describe the atom bombs dropped by USA on Japan in 1945.
On 6 August 1945, an atom bomb was dropped onto the Japanese town of Hiroshima. This killed 80,000 people instantly and injured a further 40,000. On 9 August 1945, a second atom bomb was dropped on the Japanese port of Nagasaki, killing 40,000 people instantly. 6 days later, Japan surrendered and WW2 ended. However this began a new era - the nuclear age - where bombs were discovered to have the potential to not just destroy the enemy, but to destroy the human race.
Briefly describe WW2: why did people volunteer and why did others not? What was the outcome?
Some were in favour of going to war in order to fight Hitler as they were concerned with his unfair treatment of the Jews. Others didn’t volunteer as they didn’t understand why we should care about the Jews. There was a huge cost as whole generations of young men were lost.
Briefly describe the war in Iraq: why did people volunteer and why did others not? What was the outcome? What would be an alternative solution?
Some signed up to fight against Iraq’s dictator, Saddam Husseim, who was massacring his own people. Others decided against this as they wondered if any weapons were actually found. There was a huge loss of lives, and an alternative of this war would be trade embargoes (not trading with enemy anymore).
Define pacifism.
The idea that war and violence are wrong and cannot be justified. Pacifists believe that conflicts should be settled by peaceful means.
What is an absolute pacifist?
Someone who believes that it is never right to take part in war, even in self-defence. Human life is so precious that nothing can justify deliberately killing a person.
What is a conditional pacifist?
Someone who is against the idea of war in general, but accepts that sometimes there may be extreme circumstances when war is better that the alternative.
What is a selective pacifist?
Someone who opposes only a certain type of war, such as one what involves weapons of mass destruction, eg nuclear weapons.
Describe some of the positive things a pacifist can do during war without taking part in fighting.
🍀 Peaceful demonstrations 🍀 Strikes in workplaces 🍀 Road blocks 🍀 Picketing 🍀 Hunger strikes 🍀 Medical help
