International Relations Essay 2 ONLY ONTIME

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The Globalization of World Politics (6e)

14. The changing character of war

Baylis, Smith & Owens

Baylis, Smith & Owens: The Globalization of World Politics 6e

Defining War

• There are many and sometimes contradictory definitions of what war actually is

• Clausewitz: “An act of force intended to compel our opponents to fulfill our will”, and “a continuation of political intercourse with a mixture of other means”

• Bull: “organised violence carried out by political units against each other”

• Scale?

Baylis, Smith & Owens: The Globalization of World Politics 6e

The nature of war

• If war is a form of social and political behaviour, it follows that societal changes also change the nature of war

• Technological advances have altered the organization of society

• The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) led to a new societal phase – modernity

Baylis, Smith & Owens: The Globalization of World Politics 6e

The nature of war

• Modernity was characterized by a rise of nationalism, centralized and bureaucratic states, rising populations, Enlightenment

• This made feasible the calling-up of mass armies

• International law and rules of international relations and warfare evolved as a result

• Globalization affects contemporary warfare

Baylis, Smith & Owens: The Globalization of World Politics 6e

Revolution in military affairs (RMA)

• RMA became an influential school of thought after the dramatic American victory in the 1991 Gulf War

• Breakthrough technological developments can radically alter military conflict

• Less discussion about how opponents of a high- tech advanced state might use conventional or asymmetric responses to fight effectively against a more sophisticated opponent

Baylis, Smith & Owens: The Globalization of World Politics 6e

Postmodern war

• In some parts of the world the state is deliberately transferring functions, including military functions, to private authorities and businesses

• Media is becoming more important in terms of shaping understanding of particular wars

• A taboo against the use of nuclear weapons has developed in the global system

Baylis, Smith & Owens: The Globalization of World Politics 6e

New wars

• New wars are typically based around the disintegration of states and subsequent struggles for control of the state by opposing groups

• Disintegration is usually preceded by economic hardship or collapse

• Such wars are often characterized by the use of violence by an army against an unarmed civilian population

• There is also a prevalent focus on identity

Baylis, Smith & Owens: The Globalization of World Politics 6e

Post-Westphalian warfare

• The assumption that war is something that takes place between states is based on the acceptance of the Westphalian state system as the norm

• The sub-state features of many wars have gained prominence

• Issues of poverty, stability, development and peace have been increasingly seen as linked in an overall pattern of insecurity

Baylis, Smith & Owens: The Globalization of World Politics 6e

Case study 2: The Sudanese civil war

Baylis, Smith & Owens: The Globalization of World Politics 6e

Case study 2: The Sudanese civil war

• The Sudanese conflict has roots in the inception of the state in 1956

• The nation has always been divided between the Muslim North and a Christian (or traditional) South

• Guerrilla warfare and insurgencies have been mainstays

• In July 2011, the republic of south Sudan was established

Baylis, Smith & Owens: The Globalization of World Politics 6e

Case study 2: The Sudanese civil war

• The UN considers the losses in the Sudanese Civil War as the largest civilian death toll of any war since WW2

• The conflict lasted for an extremely long time • It was fought using comparatively low-tech

weaponry • Most casualties were suffered by the civilian

population