Session II

Causes of War

Introduction
Mankind began to discuss the causes of war at a very early

date Causes of war as proposed by various thinkers (observers) in different times War is always a clash of interests In most cases such confronting interests are of a political nature, which means they relate to various forms of power and domination of some political actors over others Political interests are often motivated by or rooted in the economy, distribution and redistribution of various resources, money, industrial potential or territory There are different school of thoughts regarding causes of

CAUSES OF WAR
Objectives

Understand the Causes of war as proposed by various thinkers (observers) in different times

Acquire knowledge and skill to scientifically analysis and describe the causes and types of war.

WHAT CAUSES WAR?

Many plausible answerers have already been suggested to this question ,however these answers are varied ,even at times contradictory and the debates continue.

plausible (believable and appearing likely to be true,

usually in the absence of proof )

School of Thoughts
1. Traditional schools of thought (Pacifism Theories)
Theories of unnatural essence of war
War has no "eternal" or natural causes War is a violation of human and social nature It could and should be abandoned Conflicts as being unnecessary exceptions

from otherwise harmonious social surroundings.

2. Modern School of Thought (Realism)

Conflicts of interest in the political universe as inevitable

and even natural Conflicts of interest are unavoidable because they proceed from and reflect differences in social positions, roles, power, capabilities, and characteristics of the political actors Conflicts of interests are a reverse side of political and economic diversity These causes are built-in human and/or social nature Causes are indestructible, thus wars are unavoidable This theory includes: Human Nature, Social Nature , Technical (Man-made) Nature

3. Human Nature as a Main Cause of War

War is in-born, instinctive aggressiveness in an individual

is an unavoidable parameter of human nature War is biologically approved It is a continuation and a development of a "struggle of species for survival' from a biological world to a social world. Weapons, in addition to communal aggression (a militant enthusiasm and unthinking single-mindedness which gave a feeling of intense satisfaction and had a morale raising effect on the social structure) Greatly escalated humans' ability to defend themselves, but also enhanced their ability to inflict violence on other groups

4. Social Nature is a Main Cause of War.

Structure of social relations, group contradictions, division and

sub-division of humankind into ethnic entities, nation-states, alliances and empires presuppose wars as one of "natural" and functional ways of social interaction between them Some wars are more justified and functional, some less, but as a whole wars are a "dialectical" way of resolving contradictions. Progress and social development sometime occurs in the form of wars Wars could be modified, controlled, but could not and even should not be eliminated as a social phenomenon
The nation is a cause of war because nations compete for

advantage and resources just as people do This competition for advantage and resources is most evident in capitalist systems because capitalism does not recognize the limits of nature to continually provide resources to supply capitalists' machines

5. Technical (Man-made) Nature is a Main Cause of Modern and Future Wars.

Scientific and technological progress, industrialization and

post-industrial development created, firstly, great demand for resources and redistribution of them, and secondly, huge arsenals of modern means of destruction and fantastic abilities of a modern man to influence through technology (weaponry, computers, communication & propaganda) other men and states. Scientific thought couldn't be stopped Weapons and dual-use technologies couldn't be dis-invented. Modern technologically supported wars (as well as futuristic nuclear, space, electronic and so on wars) are a "natural" and unavoidable companion of a scientific and technological progress.

Demographic Theories of War

According to Thomas Malthus, expanding population and scarce resources are the cause of war.

The Malthusian viewpoint suggests that populations expand until they reach a critical mass, at which time the population will balance itself out by war, disease, or famine. The Youth Bulge Theory states that whenever the population of young males is large in proportion to other demographic groups and they lack an opportunity for regular, peaceful employment, war will break out.
The excess youth will be diverted to war and many will be eliminated.

Causes of War (Typology)

All wars are born from a contradiction of interests What are people and nations fighting for? what do they try to redistribute? who, by waging war, gets what, when and how? The various causes of war, rooted in material, social and

cultural worlds could be grouped and presented in the form of the following typology

Source of contradiction and controversy

Causes of war (sphere where specific causes of war originate from)

Subject of change and redistribution through war

Natural resources

Territory, water, sea resources, soil (better lands), mineral resources, etc. Industrial infrastructure, sources of energy, cities and ports, financial resources, manpower, etc.

Material world

RESOURCES Industrial (economic) resources

Post-industrial resources

Information, computer networks; advanced technologies, hi-tech and scientific resources; hi-tech military (nuclear, space,

Source of Subject of change and contradic Causes of war (sphere redistribution through war tion and where specific causes of controver war originate from) sy Redistribution of power between groups, classes, elites, clans, leaders; Internal (intra-state) federative relations, selfpolitics determination of regions: level of democratization, forms of governing and political regimes Borders and territory, access to all International (inter- kinds of resources; alliances, treaties state) politics and legal obligations; integration/disintegration Level of autonomy, political representation of minorities, structure of governing, access of ethnic groups and nations to power and resources, self-determination, secession

Social world

POWER

Ethnic relations

Source of Subject of change and Causes of war contradictio redistribution through war (sphere where n and controversy specific causes of war originate from)

Culture

Protection from unwanted external influences, proportions in mixture of cultures, controversy between culture of rulers and culture of populous, etc. Conversion/reconversion, mainstream vs. sects, redistribution of power and influence between religious and civil state leaders Access of social, ethnic, cultural groups and leaders to minds and more material resources

Culturalspiritual world

IDENTITY, INFLUENCE Religion

Ideologies

Other explanations on Causes of War

Immediate and Underlying Causes Immediate/Proximate Cause; the events that trigger wars, they may be trivial even accidental E.g the spark igniting WWI (Assassination of Arcke Duke Ferdinand of Austria) Underlying cause; international circumstances that are not controlled and make pressure on states policies to get in to war. E.g. Jordans entry in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
2/2/2013 15

Efficient and Permissive Cause Efficient causes; are connected to the particular circumstances surrounding that specific war. State A has something B wants, in this case the efficient cause of war is the desire of B. E.g. The cause of gulf war in 1990 was Sadams desire to acquire Kuwait Permissive Cause; those features of the international system which while not actively promoting war, nevertheless allow it to happen.

2/2/2013

16

Necessary and Sufficient Causes of War

Necessary condition for war is one that must be present if war is to occur.if war cannot break out without that condition existing, then it is a necessary condition. E.g existence of armaments, human beings organized in discrete collectives such as states, tribes, ethnic groups, group of nationsetc. Sufficient cause; is one that if present, guarantees the occurrence of war. A is a sufficient cause if B always occurs whenever A exists. E.g. If two states hate each other so much that neither tolerate the independent existence of the other, then that is sufficient cause to make war between them.

Cause of war can be sufficient without being necessary.

2/2/2013 17

Types of war
i Based on justification: - Just / unjust war To justify the cause and purpose of war just and unjust nature/ characteristics of war is measured according to the just war theory . (This will be discussed in detail).

ii. Based on the cause /reason Civil war Colonial / anti colonial war National / patriotic war in defense the nation

iii.Based on the purpose

Limited war Unlimited war

iv. Based on geographic coverage

WWI or WWII European War

v. Based on conduct of war

Conventional war Un conventional war

vi. Based on duration

Short duration E.g the six days war The thirty years war 1618-1648

vii.Based on the level of intensity

Low intensity war

High intensity wars

viii.Based on the place

Gulf war Korean war

ix. Based on the countries

Ethio Eritrean War Russo-Japanese war

Discussion points I. Discuss if war could be abolished, how? And why? II. Discuss the concepts of Immediate and Underlying Causes (bring different examples to support your arguments) III Discuss the concepts of Efficient and Permissive Cause (bring different examples to support your arguments)

IV. Discuss the concept of Necessary and Sufficient Causes of War((bring different examples to support your arguments)