WAR: AN INTRODUCTION 20th Century American History

War: A Definition Noun A conflict carried on by force of arms,

as between nations or between parties within a nation; warfare, as by land, sea or air.

A state or period of armed hostility or active military operations (cold war vs. hot war)

a struggle: a war for men’s minds, a war against poverty

Motivation

Answer the following questions about war. Be ready to share! Is war an innate characteristic of human

beings? Are there “rules” when it comes to war?

Why or why not? Is there such a thing as a “just” war?

Causes of War Is war an innate

characteristic of human beings? Why do humans go to war?

Biological? Testosterone?

Societal? Earliest archaeological

evidence of war is from 12,000 years ago: between hunter gatherers

War begets war: leads to war-mongering societies, war is like a disease, it spreads through space and time.

Rules?

Are there “rules” in war? Is it practical to have rules of war?

“All warfare is based on deception.” -- Sun Tzu’s “Art of War”“By any means necessary” –Malcolm X “The ends justify the means” – Machiavelli

Geneva Conventions standing written rules to

protect victims of conflicts open to all States; the

obligation to extend care without discrimination to wounded and sick military personnel

respect for and marking of medical personnel, transports and equipment using an emblem (red cross on a white background).

Is there such a thing as a just war? Just War Theory: most widely

accepted theory of the morality of war.

1. Last Resort

A just war can only be waged as a last resort. All non-violent options must be exhausted before the use of force can be justified.

Ex: Hitler and appeasement

2. Legitimate Authority A war is just only if it is

waged by a legitimate authority. Even just causes cannot be served by actions taken by individuals or groups who do not constitute an authority sanctioned by whatever the society and outsiders to the society deem legitimate.

Ex: Terrorism is not just

Black September: Munich Olympics, 1972

3. Self-Defense!

A just war can only be fought to redress a wrong suffered. For example, self-defense against an armed attack is always considered to be a just cause. Further, a just war can only be fought with "right" intentions: the only permissible objective of a just war is to redress the injury.

Ex: War in Afghanistan, War in Iraq

4. Chance of Success and Proportional

A war can only be just if it is fought with a reasonable chance of success. Deaths and injury incurred in a hopeless cause are not morally justifiable.

The violence used in the war must be proportional to the injury suffered.

Ex: Media Silence in War in Iraq General Tommy Franks “We

don’t do body counts” –aclu.org (American civil liberties union)

Up to 250,000 Civilians

5. Non-Combatants The weapons used in war

must discriminate between combatants and non-combatants. Civilians are never permissible targets of war, and every effort must be taken to avoid killing civilians. The deaths of civilians are justified only if they are unavoidable victims of a deliberate attack on a military target.

Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.--Sun Tzu’s Art of War

6. Peace The ultimate goal of a just war is to re-

establish peace. More specifically, the peace established after the war must be preferable to the peace that would have prevailed if the war had not been fought.

Put the theory to use: Start with an Example

The Korean War:

Why did S. Korea go to war against North Korea?

Why did America join in the war effort?

Zinn Ch 1: The Empire and its People

Introduction to the Reading

Before You Read… What was America like before the

Spanish-American War? What is imperialism? Describe American political ideals.

What exactly is democracy? How are the two terms “imperialism”

and “democracy” related?