Purpose of War

Why study war? Oldest, most prevalent, and most salient issue in international relations Security comes first in IR – all other competing values presuppose security (human rights, environment, economic development) Number and intensity of war has dropped by half since 1991 Theorists disagree over the inevitability of war Realists argue it is inevitable (Prisoner’s Dilemma) Liberals argue elimination of war through effective institutions Constructivists say war is result of socialization in which conflict is assumed to exist

What States fight over Purpose isn’t to fight, but to obtain something a state wants Problem: bargaining over object or issues of value to more than 1 state Territory Contribute to wealth: oil, natural gas, minerals Industrial or agricultural resources Ethnic, cultural, or historical reasons Policies Policy benefits the state, but harms another Replace offending regime with friendlier ones (Iraq & Afghanistan) Regime type Cold war Vietnam war

New Concepts Preemptive war – War fought with the anticipation that an attack by the other side is imminent Preventive war – war fought to prevent an adversary from becoming stronger in the future Security Dilemma – states seeking to increase their defense capability end up threatening other states, increasing tensions & chance of war Democratic Peace – democracies virtually never fight each other

Causes of War: The Individual Both characteristics of individual leaders & general attributes of people R – Characteristics of the masses lead to war. Aggressive behavior is adopted by all species for survival. L – Misperceptions by leaders, such as seeing aggressiveness where it may not be intended, or attributing actions of one person to an entire group, lead to war.

Causes of War: State and Society Wars occur because of the internal structures of states L – Some types of economic systems (Aristocracies) are more war- prone than others. Democratic regimes are least likely to wage war because norms & culture inhibit the leadership from taking actions leading to war Radical – Conflict & war are attributed to the internal dynamics of capitalist economic systems: competition & struggle leads to war.

Causes of War: The International System R –The international system is equivalent to a state of war: anarchic & governed by a weak and overarching rule of law. War breaks out because there is nothing to stop it. States themselves are the final authorities and the ultimate arbiters of disputes; herein resides sovereignty. State’s security ensured only by military & economic power Variant: Power Transition Theory: Changes in state capabilities lead to war. Radical – Dominant capitalist states within the international system need to expand economically, leading to wars with developing regions over natural resources & labor markets.

Case Study: Iraq’s Invasion of Kuwait Individual Level: Saddam Hussein’s individual characteristics – insecurity & ruthlessness – help explain Iraq’s actions. Hussein may have calculated that his actions would not elicit a military response from the international community. State Level: Iraq was acting in its own national interest. Iraq felt that the land (oil fields) annexed had been illegally seized during the British occupation ~WWI. The 1980-88 war with Iran also reduced Iraq’s oil revenues. International Level: Several factors indicated that Iraq’s actions would not be resisted: the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Arab League’s reluctance to criticize its members, & historical failure of UN Security Council to act decisively

Categorizing Wars Interstate Wars – wars between 2+ states; easiest to study & cause the most damage Intrastate Wars – wars between groups within a state, with or without international participation Total War – wars involving multiple great powers; significant destruction & loss of life; all parts of society & economy focused on war effort Limited War – objective is not surrender & occupation of enemy territory, but rather to attain limited goals Korean War & Gulf War examples Last a long time, with periods of fighting & calm Human costs are high Food supplies interrupted Diseases spread Money diverted from economic development to purchasing armaments Entire generations may grow up knowing only war

How Wars Are Fought Conventional War – war between designated soldiers representing specific sides, using conventional weapons (effects can be limited in space & time) Weapons of Mass Destruction – chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons whose effects cannot be limited in space or to legitimate targets Asymmetric Conflict - warfare conducted between parties of unequal strength

How Wars Are Fought Unconventional Warfare – warfare in which one or more sides refuse to follow accepted conventions of war (conduct of war, refusal to accept outcomes of battle) Guerilla Warfare – use civilian population to provide supplies; hit- and-run tactics (Taliban) Terrorism – one side attempts to instill fear in the other to force concessions; involves: Premeditation Motivation Noncombatant targets Secretiveness

Just War Tradition Jus ad bellum - justice of entering a war Jus in bello – justice of how a war is fought Several criteria justify entering war Just cause Leader has correct intentions Leader wants to end abuses & establish peace Exhaust all other possibilities Remove forces rapidly after abuses end Also addresses conduct in war Combatants & noncombatants must be differentiated Violence used needs to be proportionate to the ends achieved

Discussion topics How can we avoid the security dilemma? Is war ever “just?”