International Conflict CHAPTER FIVE Dr. Clayton Thyne PS : World Politics Spring 2010 Goldstein & Pevehouse, International Relations, 8/e Student notes version

Largest contemporary wars: Of the 11 wars, all but Chechnya (Russia) are in the ________________________________. All but Colombia are in a zone of active fighting spanning parts of Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. Most peace agreements in the world’s postwar zones are _____________________________.

Types of War: Hegemonic War War over control of the entire world order – the rules of the international system as a whole, including the role of world hegemony. Last hegemonic war was _________________ Likely that due to the power of modern weaponry, this kind of war could not occur any longer without destroying civilization

Types of War: Total War Def: Goal is to… Evolved with industrialization, which further integrated all of society and economy into the practice of war Example: Last total war:

Types of War: Limited War Includes military actions carried out to… Example: Raids: –

Types of War: Civil War Refers to war between… –U.S. Civil War of the 1860s - –El Salvador in the 1980s – May often be among the most brutal wars __________ million deaths from 1945 to 1999 –Compared to ________ million deaths for interstate wars Last _________ years on average –Compared to ____________ months for interstate wars

Types of War: Guerrilla War Includes certain types of civil wars; is warfare without front lines Irregular forces operate in the midst of, and often hidden or protected by, civilian populations. Purpose:

The “Ripple Effects” of Civil War

Instances of Civil War Onset,

Causes of War: Approaches The question of why war breaks out can be approached in different ways. – Broad generalizations about the causes of war have been _________________. Wars do not have a single or simple cause. Levels of analysis can help us organize theories of war.

Causes of War: Individual & Domestic Explanations Individual level of analysis: –Rational decisions of leaders: –Deviations from rationality: The domestic level of analysis:

Causes of War: Interstate Explanations Interstate level: –Power transition theory: –Deterrence: –Arms race: –No general formula has been discovered to tell us in what circumstances each of these principles holds true.

Causes of War: Global Explanations Global level of analysis: Several variations on the idea that major warfare in the international system is cyclical. –One approach links wars with long economic waves in the world economy (~50 years) –Another approach links the largest wars with a 100-year cycle based on the creation and decay of world orders. These cycle theories at best can… Theory of linear long-term change:

Conflicts of Ideas Six types of international conflict: –Conflicts over less/non-tangible material interests: –Conflicts over tangible material interests: Most difficult types of conflict have… These identity-based sources of international conflict today have been shaped historically by…

Conflicts over less/non-tangible material interests: Nationalism Devotion to the interests of one’s own nation over others –May be the most important force in world politics in the past two centuries –Nationality is a difficult concept to define precisely. Historical development of “nationalism” –Principle of self-determination

Conflicts over less/non-tangible material interests: Ethnic Conflict Stems from… Quite possibly the most important source of conflict in the numerous wars now occurring throughout the world. Nationalism tied to territory, often  Ethnic groups: Often form the basis for _____________________________ Genocide – Def: –

Conflicts over less/non-tangible material interests: Ethnic Conflict Causes of ethnic hostility –Kinship: –History: –Ethnocentrism Education can  –Very difficult to solve because it’s very hard to divide anything –Global identity in the future?

Conflicts over less/non-tangible material interests: Religious Conflict Because religion is the core of a community’s value system in much of the world, people whose religious practices differ are… –Fundamentalist movements –Secular political organizations

Figure 5.3

Table 5.1

Conflicts over less/non-tangible material interests: Ideological Conflict Ideology _________________ and _______________conflicts between groups and states more than it causes them. –Because they have a somewhat weaker hold on core values and absolute truth than religions do, they pose somewhat fewer problems for the international system. –China Maoist communism in 1949; Russia’s Leninist communism in 1917, U.S. democracy in 1776 –Angola

Conflicts over tangible material interests: Territorial Disputes Means of controlling territory – primarily military Can be (1) ____________________________________ or (2) __________________________________________ Change in economies  change in territorial conflict: Old days: Modern days: Interstate borders Old days: Post-WWII norm: Little territory has changed hands through force Most changing of borders has happened peacefully (through ICJ or World Court mostly) Secession (def): E.g., US civil war; Chechnya, Bosnia-Serbia Intl norm is against approving of secessionist movements

Conflicts over tangible material interests: Lingering Disputes Israel Israel’s war of independence  cease-fire (1948) Six day war  further expansion (1967) Camp David peace treaty  retraction of borders (1978) Dispute still exists over Gaza Strip (near Egypt), Golan Heights (near Syria), and West Bank (near Jordan) Kashmir: India vs. Pakistan India’s part: inhabited by Muslims (minority in India, majority in Pakistan) Pakistan’s view: India oppressed Kashmiris, thwarts potential popular referendum India’s view: Pakistan aids Islamic radicals, who attack Indian-occupied Kashmir Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenian-populated territory in Azerbaijan Crimean peninsula: Russia vs. Ukraine Many disputes today involve conflicts over tiny (often uninhabitable islands)

Figure 5.5

Conflicts over tangible material interests: Others Territorial waters UN Convention on the Law of the Sea ( ) Airspace

Conflicts over tangible material interests: Control of Governments Most struggles to control territory do not involve _________________________. They are conflicts over which governments will ________________________. International conflicts over the control of governments – along with territorial disputes – are likely to lead to...

Conflicts over tangible material interests: Economic Conflict Most pervasive form of conflict in IR; in a global capitalist market, all economic exchanges involve some conflict of interests Conflict  Mercantilism: Lateral pressure theory: Drug trafficking: