PEACE OF CONFLICTGroup 5 presentation on Chapter 9

Reasons for wars

Ideologies

Social level

Economic level

Cultural level

IDEOLOGY INTEGRATED BUT UNARTICULATED NETWORKS OF IDEAS UPON WHICH SOCIAL AND POILTICAL ACTIONS ARE OFTEN EXPLAINED, JUSTIFIED,

AND IMPLEMENTEDIDEOLOGY ARE ORGANINZED AROUND

1. RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS2. SECULAR BELIEF SYSTEM3. SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS

IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES = WAREX) N. KOREA VS S. KOREA

THE CRUSADES

SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS• MAXISM

MODERN CAPITALISMTWO ANTAGONISTIC CLASSES(PROLETARIAT,BOURGEOISIE)

BOURGEOISIE WILL OWN THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION AND CONTROL THE GOVERNMENT CLASS STRUGGLE WAR COMMUNISM

• CAPITALISMMAXIMUM ECONOMIC FREEDOM FOR MARKETS, THOUGHT, SPEECH,

AND PROPERTY OWNERSHIPWARS ARE CAUSED MOST NOTABLY BY PERCEIVED THREATS TO HU-

MAN FREEDOM• FASCISMNATIONALISTIC/ MILITARIST EXTENSION OF CAPITALISM, A WORLDVIEW

THAT PLACES GREAT RELIANCE ON SOCIAL RIGIDITY AND HIERACHY

IDEOLOGIES AND WARS• IDEOLOGIES CAN LEAD TO PERCAPTIONS, INSTITUTIONS AND

ACTIVITIES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO WAR MAKINGWorld War II

Nazi Germany vs Fascist Italy and JapanPRESIDENT WILSON CONGRESSIONAL DECLARATION OF WAR:

“A steadfast concern for peace can never be maintained except by a partnership of democratic nations.” We are glad … to fight thus for the ultimate peace of the world and for the liberation of its peoples, the German peoples included; for the rights of nations

great and small privilege of men everywhere to choose their own way of life and obedi-ence… America is privileged to spend her blood and might for the principles that gave her

birth and happiness and the peace which she has treasured… the world must be made safe for democracy

Many wars were nonideologicalCommunist Vietnam vs. Communist China in 1979

Democracies and Wars

More likely

Less likely

IMPERIALISM1850-1914Imperialism: The takeover of a weaker country or territory by a strong nation and dominates its economic, political, or cultural life.

Imperialism• Until the 20th century, imperialism was widely accepted

• Imperialism may have contributed directly to war and

colonial oppression

• Leninist view:

IMPERIALISM LEAD TO WAR

IMPERIALISM IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF CAPITAL-

ISM

Causes of Imperialism

• The Industrial Revolution caused a need for re-

sources to fuel industrial production in Europe and

the United States

• Where would these resources come from?

• Africa

• Asia

• Latin America

Causes of Imperialism

• Economic competition between European nations; new

markets to sell their goods

• The need of European nations to add colonies to their em-

pires as a measure of national greatness

• Growing racism, or the belief that one race was superior to

another

- Because they were more technologically advanced, many Europeans

and Americans felt they had the right to dominate the peoples of Asia,

Africa and Latin America

Causes of Imperialism• Social Darwinism: the idea that those who were fittest for

survival and success were superior to others

• Because of Social Darwinism, Europeans felt they had the right and

duty to bring progress to other nations

• Need to Christianize the people of Asia and Africa

• Need to civilize and “westernize” others

What Enabled Imperialism?

• Europeans’ technological superiority (including the machine gun)

• Improvements in transportation to and within Asian and African colonies

• Medical advances, such as Quinine, which protected Euro-peans from foreign diseases (malaria)

• Disunity among ethnic groups in Africa

Imperialism in 1914

Modern Imperialism

• USA in Iraq 

• Britain in former African colonies like Zimbabwe or France

in Rwanda and Ivory Coast

Neo-Imperialism and Dependency Theory

• Neo-Imperialism – a policy whereby a major power uses

economic and political means to perpetuate or extend its

influence over underdeveloped nations or areas

- at this time, countries focused on building their empire

with new technological advances and developments, mak-

ing their country bigger through conquest, and exploiting

their resources.

• Dependency Theory - the notion that resources flow from

a "periphery" of poor and underdeveloped states to a

"core" of wealthy states, enriching the latter at the ex-

pense of the former.

Neo-Imperialism and Dependency Theory

Forms of ImperialismFORMS OF

IMPERIALISM CHARACTERISTICS

Colony A country or region governed internally by a foreign power

ProtectorateA country with its own internal government but under the control of an outside power

Sphere of Influence An area in which an outside power claims exclusive trading privileges

Economic Imperialism

Independent but less developed nations controlled by private business interests rather than by other government

Forms of ImperialismTypes of Management

INDIRECT CONTROL DIRECT CONTROL

Local government officials were usedLimited self-ruleGOAL: to develop future leadersGovernment institutions are based on European styles but may have local rules

Foreign officials brought in to ruleNo self-ruleGOAL: assimilation (the process in which a minority group adopts the customs of the prevailing culture)Government institutions based only on European stylesPaternalism: people governed in a fatherly way where their needs are provided for but they’re not given rights

Reasons for warsIdeologies

Social level

Economic level

Cultural level

Population PressureClaim: “...expanding population drives a state to conquest…”

More Population= CONQUEST!

Population PressureEx) Hitler -> Poland & Western USSR (German’s need for ‘LIVING SPACE’)

- Japan: More population but less aggressive (more population =/= CONQUEST)

- Europe: Less population but suffered from Roman im-perial wars & smaller “barbarian” wars & end of Pax Ro-mana(Roman Peace)

(less population =/= PEACE)

Personal Thought!

When I read the part….

about population pressure,it reminded me of...

the Human Overpopulation Theory!

Other Social Stresses

• “Peace follows a war because there is

nothing left to fight about”

• “Wars lead to national exhaustion and

therefore to peace”

• SMALLER states worry that they were at risk of being attacked

by LARGER(more populous) states

Ex) Belgium->France->Germany->Russia

Personal Thought!

When I read the part…

about how peace can be achieved,it reminded me of…

how theories and reality are different from each other!

Poverty as a Cause of War

Orthodox Marxist“Wars are caused by CLASS STRUGGLES, including conflicts within societies as well as those between the upper classes of different so-cieties for control over other countries.”

Poverty as a Cause of War

President John F.Kennedy

“Those who possess wealth and power

in poor nations must accept their own

responsibilities...Those who make

PEACEFUL revolution impossible will

make VIOLENT revolution INEVITABLE.”

Poverty and Domestic UnrestHowever!!

Poverty does not inevitably breed war

INCREASING PROSPERITY&EXPECTATION DOES!!

“...the crucial point at which a society becomes usually violent depends less on so-called objective conditions than on a gap between prevailing conditions and a public expecta-tion…”

Wars and Social Change

• Civil wars

disparity exists between

1) forces of socioeconomic change

2) ability (of existing political structure) to accommodate the

changes

Economic conditions can INDIRECTLY cause international war:

1) outright physical hunger of French people

2) French Revolution

3) new republican government (threat to Europe)

4) invasion of France to suppress revolution

5) Napoleonic Wars

Poverty as a Restraint on warPoverty-

“...more likely to RESTRAIN military adventuring of states than to encourage it.”

Wars are EXPENSIVE!!!!!

Personal Thought!

When I read the part…

about the relationship between poverty and war,

it reminded me of…

Reasons for warsIdeologies

Social level

Economic level

Cultural level

The military industrial complex - past

• Money making factors of causing war

• History of the past. Ex). Warrior kings, middle ages, the Chinese, Japanese

• Conspiracy of George W. Bush

• Profit of certain cities – esp with creating weapons Ex) Philippines and Japan

• Current situation too enhances reason why causing war is beneficial

The military industrial complex - Now• Arms sales have been the number one export for France and Israel• In US during latter part of 20th century, 10% of all business derived from mili-

tary related production• Creation of more jobs• In terms of natural resources, foods. Ex). China – Japan controversy over

Diaoyudao, Korea- Japan over Dokdo• Booming of economies – In the past the cold war, now for growing power

China.

The Economic effects of wars• Location is crucial – Not in own land• Early cause of Industrial revolution in Britain• Positive about effect of wars – premium for iron• Negative view – During the 90s better economy• Angola’s case spending of 60% income in military + Sudan• Support of the UN and other African nations didn’t help due to too much ex-

penditure

The effects of military spending• Economic criticisms of military spending • Employment • Inflation• Deficits• Productivity• Unmet social needs

Group opinion and interviews• “It’s partly true and historical been proven that causation of war is economic

factor, but its not the biggest part.”

• “If peace prolongs too long wars occur due to human desire of more re-source, territory, and especially money.”

• “I think its imperative that wars don’t occur due to economic reasons, be-cause even countries like Israel which lacks both in resource and territory demonstrated the possibility of succeeding economically.”

• “Its true that the great depression ended partly by causation of WW2, but economy just like supply and demand curve has ups and downs, so we should not count on war as the one of bring back the economy.

Reasons for warsIdeologies

Social level

Economic level

Cultural level

Do we go to war due to different cultures?

• Maybe, yes.

• The Persian War(Greek vs Persian) in B.C. 5th century

Culture? Civilization?

What’s culture?“The systematic body of learned behavior which is trans-mitted from parents to children” - Margaret Mead -

What’s civilization?“An advanced stage of human society, where people live with a reasonable degree of organization and comfort and can think about things like art and education”

THE “CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS”

• “In the post-cold war world, the most important distinctions among

peoples are no ideological, political or economic. They are cul-

tural. Clash between civilizations is the greatest threat to the

world peace.”

Samuel P. Huntington(1927-2008) : A conservative political scientist from the United States 

Huntington’s view

• In the 1920s, there was a bipolar world • In the 1960s, there was a tripolar world during the Cold War era

“The U.S.

Bloc

The Unaligned na-tions

The Co

mmu

nist Bloc

The

West

The

Rest

There has been a certain world order all the times

THE “CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS”Since 1990, it’s a multipolar “world of Civilizations” composed of nine centers

Western

Orthodox

Islamic

AfricanLatin American

Sinic

Hindu

Buddhist Japanese

The Contemporary World Order

• Possibilities of “Major inter-civilizational war”

Muslim vs Non-muslimA Sino/American conflict(The United State vs China)

How to maintain the world peace?

• “The abstention rule”(No intervention)

• “The meditation rule” (Soft power, Negotiation)

• “The commonalities rule” (the values, institutions, and practices)

– extend common ground with people of other civilizations

Huntington’s three rules

Critical views on the “Clash of Civilization”

• No intervention at all?? - Rwanda Genocide and ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s

• Still “The West” supremacy - Huntington said “in the multipolar world, western civilization led by the U.S. must maintain its “superiority” over other civilizations.”

• The era of nuclear weapons - In the nuclear age, a clash between nuclear-armed civilizations is likely to end the both.

Ideologies

Social level

Economic level

Cultural level

Group perspectiveQ. What was the most helpful in understanding contemporary interna-tional conflicts?

Each approach has its own convincing point in explaining the reason for wars. However, no one factor could effectively account for all conflicts. A con-flict entails a complex mixture of reasons from different aspects. So, we think we can understand it best when all factors are considered together.

Thank you