International Politics Unit 2

Current international Conflicts (RULAC Database): Afghanistan and Pakistan, India and China, India and Pakistan, Iraq, Ukraine, Syria 

Carl von Clausewitz: assessed the “moral” aspects of war

Paradoxical Triangle: Policy (government), Passion (people, support), Chance (military). How to be successful in war, essentially. 

Civil vs. International Wars: civil is a violent conflict within one state, international has to do with two or more sovereign states 

The Security Dilemma: states go back and forth increasing weaponry to feel safer, which leads to arms races

Offense-Defense Theory: actions to make a state more secure can actually increase the chance of war. Defense can look like an attack on a neighbor. Defensive weapons = a moat, Offensive = a cannon 

Causes of War: competition over resources, religious disputes, power imbalances, nationalism 

Biological Argument (Aaron): Creation vs Evolution, 

Social Argument (Van Creveld): “systematic oppression of women is a myth unsupported by any data”

Social Construct Argument (Mead): as social beings, we construct our own sense of identity and self through interactions with others 

Terrorism: threat to international stability and security. Using violence or fears to achieve political or ideological goals 

Opportunities vs. Interests: 

Counterterrorism: preparing to or fighting terrorism through gathering information, training, passing counter-terrorism legislation 

Political Violence: politically motivated violence against individuals or states 

Unconventional Warfare: military strategy using a resistance movement against an occupying power 

FARC-EP and UP Party: Colombian political party, far-left communist

Doctrine of Military Ethics: set of principles that guide the moral conduct of military conduct 

Jus ad Bellum: the “right to war” in latin. War must be a last resort, reasoning must be to bring peace. 

Jus in Bello: moral principles during war, protecting civilians 

Jus post Bellum: legal principles that lead transition of war to peace 

The Red Cross: humanitarian assistance internationally 

Geneva Conventions: legal standards for how soldiers and civilians should be treated during war. 

Weapons of Mass Destruction: weapons that can cause extensive damage to the environment and kill many people 

Chemical Weapons and CWC: prohibits the development, use, and stockpiling of chemical weapons 

Biological Weapons and BWC: bans biological and toxin weapons by prohibiting their development 

Nuclear Weapons and NPT: agreement between countries to stop the spread of nuclear weapons 

Fission vs. Fusion: fission = concerning technology used in nuclear weapon production, fusion = safer energy source 

Dual Use Problem: military advancement can simultaneously risk security concerns 

Non-Proliferation: treaty that tries to stop spread of nuclear weapons