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Causes of Conflict

Causes of Conflict. Democratic Peace Theory. Democracies are less likely to engage in conflict. First espoused by Immanuel Kant. Democracies are defined by their respect for individual rights and liberties and non-violent means of conflict resolution. Bush Doctrine built on this theory…

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Causes of Conflict

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  1. Causes of Conflict

  2. Democratic Peace Theory • Democracies are less likely to engage in conflict. • First espoused by Immanuel Kant. • Democracies are defined by their respect for individual rights and liberties and non-violent means of conflict resolution. • Bush Doctrine built on this theory… • “America will encourage the advancement of democracy and economic openness in both Iraq and Afghanistan because they are the best foundations for domestic stability and international order”

  3. Democracy Index

  4. Source: conflictmap.org

  5. Source: conflictmap.org

  6. Economic Development Link • Economically developed states are less likely to experience conflict (both interstate and intrastate). • More engaged in ‘globalisation’ and ‘interdependance’. • 80% of the world’s poorest states have suffered major civil wars since 1990. • Marxists argue that demand for markets and resources increases the likelihood of conflict between capitalist states.

  7. Human Development Index

  8. Human Development Index

  9. Nationalism and Public Opinion • Impact of nationalism on state and a government’s decision to go to war is questionable. • Invasion of Iraq – lots of public opinion against this war. In Australia more than 1 million protestors yet gov still engaged in the conflict.

  10. War as instrument of State Policy • Foreign Policy strategy uses war for: • Defence • Deterrence • Compulsion • Can you think of examples for each?

  11. War as diversionary tactic • Can divert public opinion away from domestic crisis at home. • EG Mansbach and Rafferty suggest that Bush’s 2002 ‘axis of evil’ speech was timed to divert American public attention away from the Enron scandal.

  12. Clash of Civilisations • Samuel P Huntington put forward this theory in 1993. • Post Cold War period – cultural conflict rather than ideological or economic. • EG bin Laden’s Jihad and the resulting ‘War on Terror’ • BUT analysis of conflicts reveals that more conflicts have occurred within the 8 large civilisations set out by Huntington rather than between them.

  13. Task: • To what extent can it be argued that there is a relationship between economic development, state fragility and warfare?

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