INTS 200: War, Violent Conflict, and Human Rights Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts, theories, and legal frameworks from Chapters 10 and 4 of the INTS 200 Quiz 4 Study Guide.

Interstate War

An armed conflict between two or more sovereign states in which national governments deploy their military forces against another country's armed forces.

Intrastate War

An armed conflict occurring within the borders of a single country, typically between a government and domestic rebel groups, militias, or organized armed factions; also referred to as a civil war.

Genocide

The intentional destruction, in whole or in part, of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, marked by the specific intent to destroy a protected identity group.

Politicide

The deliberate killing or destruction of a group of people based on their political beliefs, political affiliation, or perceived opposition to a government.

Proxy War

A conflict in which outside powers support opposing combatants with weapons, funds, intelligence, training, or military aid rather than engaging in direct combat with each other.

Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD)

A nuclear deterrence strategy where opposing nations maintain sufficient nuclear arsenals to survive a first strike and devastate the attacker in retaliation, removing any rational incentive to initiate a strike.

Security Dilemma

The structural dynamic in which actions taken by one state to increase its own security cause other states to feel threatened, potentially triggering an arms race or unintended war.

Jus ad Bellum

Latin for 'justice of going to war'; the legal and ethical framework outlining the conditions—such as just cause, legitimate authority, and last resort—under which a country is justified in resorting to armed force.

Jus in Bello

Latin for 'justice in war'; the rules of international humanitarian law governing how armed conflict must be conducted, focusing on principles such as distinction, proportionality, and humane treatment.

Jus post Bellum

Latin for 'justice after war'; the ethical responsibilities following the cessation of armed conflict, including rebuilding infrastructure, war crimes accountability, and establishing a durable peace.

Geneva Conventions (1949)

A set of four international treaties establishing humanitarian protections for wounded and sick soldiers on land, shipwrecked personnel at sea, prisoners of war, and civilians during armed conflicts.

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

An independent, neutral, and impartial humanitarian organization founded in 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland, dedicated to protecting conflict victims and promoting compliance with humanitarian law through confidential dialogue and monitoring.

Henry Dunant

A Swiss humanitarian whose observations of the wounded at the 1859 Battle of Solferino led to the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1863.

Natural Law

The philosophical theory that certain fundamental moral principles and human rights exist naturally and apply inherently to all human beings, independent of recognized government legislation or state authority.

Positivism (Legal Positivism)

The legal theory asserting that laws and enforceable rights derive their validity exclusively from recognized human-made legal systems, treaties, and institutions, maintaining a separation between legal validity and morality.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)

A non-binding declaration containing 30 articles adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948, establishing a common standard of fundamental human rights for all people.

Convention Against Torture

An international human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations in 1984 prohibiting torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment under all circumstances, with no exceptions for war or national emergencies.

Cultural Relativist

A perspective holding that moral values, customs, and human rights practices must be evaluated within the context of a specific culture or society rather than judged by universal external standards.

Universalist

A perspective holding that fundamental human rights apply equally to every individual across all societies, regardless of local cultural, religious, or political traditions.

Laïcité

The French principle of constitutional secularism and state neutrality, utilized as justification for the 2004 law banning conspicuous religious symbols in public primary and secondary schools.