War and Peace.ppt - City University of New York and... · 2011-04-13 · 4/13/2011 3 Sherman’s Eastern Campaign Sir Arthur Harris (1892-1984) • Head of RAF Bomber Command during

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Carl von Clausewitz (1780-1831)Prussian soldier and German military theorist who

stressed the moral and political aspects of war.

“War is not merely a political act, but also a politicalalso a political instrument, a continuation of political relations, a carrying out of the same by other means.”

War and Geography• Where do conflicts occur? Why? What are

the consequences for the environment and the nature of place.

• How do physical and social geography relate to the conduct of war?to the conduct of war?

• Boundary change: creation and dissolution of countries and empires.

• Identification of targets.• Creation and destruction of alliances.• Creation of military landscapes

U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier

Tomahawk cruise missile Predator Drone

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Predator Drone(with Hellfire missile under right wing)

Principal types of war:

conventional vs non conventionalconventional vs. non-conventional

international vs. intra-national

Conventional War• Typically involves combat between States/nations,

or some combination / alliance thereof• Formal declaration of war and surrender• Uniformed armed forces (for easy identification)• Clearly identified front lines• Clarity of winning and losing• May or may not involve total war, which views

civilian populations as legitimate targets• Asymmetrical conflict (one side’s military power is

vastly superior to the other’s) instigated by a State or nation or alliance that views itself as militarily superior to their adversary.

William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891)

• Union general during the Civil War

• Early advocate of total war.F (• Famous (or infamous) for his “march to the sea” (Savannah, Georgia) following the Union capture of Atlanta.

“I’ve seen cities and homes in ashes. I’ve seen thousands of men

lying on the ground, their dead faces looking up at the skies. I tell you,

war is Hell!”war is Hell!

-- William Tecumseh Sherman(speech to the graduating class of the

Michigan Military Academy, June 19,1879)

Sherman’s “March to the Sea”

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Sherman’s Eastern Campaign Sir Arthur Harris (1892-1984)

• Head of RAF Bomber Command during WW II.

• Known as “Bomber Harris” to the press, and “Butcher Harris” to the RAF.

• Applied total war to the bombing of German cities.

Non-Conventional War• Protagonist may be a social or political movement as

opposed to a territorial entity• No formal declaration of war• Combatants may not be uniformed (making it

difficult or impossible to identify the enemy).• No clearly defined front lines; indeed, confrontationNo clearly defined front lines; indeed, confrontation

can theoretically take place anywhere• Lack of clarity on winning and losing• Usually involves total war• May involve reverse asymmetricality – the inferior

power attacks the superior power (as conventionally defined)

Guerrilla Warfare• From Spanish, “little war.”• Term probably originated in the early 1800s pursuant

to Napoleon’s invasion of Spain• Hit-and-run warfare performed by small groups of

non-uniformed combatants (often exclusively civilians).)

• Heavy use of ambush, sabotage, raids and surprise.• In modern times, heavy use of low-caliber weaponry,

mines and improvised explosive devices (IED’s).• No use of expensive/sophisticated weapons systems

except as provided by outsiders.• Usually focuses on the opponent’s military as

opposed to citizenry.

Terrorism• Actions intended to terrorize/intimidate

civilians or combatants and undermine their resolve/support for a government/policy.

• Often carried out by hyper-committed individuals acting singly or in very small groups.groups.

• Preference for low-caliber weapons and explosives.

• The suicide bomber as “smart weapons” system.

• Disregard for The Geneva Convention(s).

Types of Intra-State Conflict• Rebellion – actions by which elements of a society

attempt to remove a leader from office and/or force those in power to change unpopular policies.

• Revolution – actions designed to change the very nature of a government, including existing leaders and policy (not necessarily by use of violence –Czechoslovakia)Czechoslovakia).

• Insurgency – a condition of revolt against a government that is less than an organized revolution and generally non-belligerent.

• Insurrection – a physical rising up against a civil or political authority or an established government

• Civil war – a war between different parties, sections, or nations of a country to achieve control or secession.

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Categories of Conflict Resolution

Bilateral negotiationsvsvs.

Trilateral negotiations

Bilateral negotiations:opponents “work things out among themselves,” typically beginning with diplomatic channels, leading to

d b h iendorsement by the respective government, and culminating in treaty-signing.

Trilateral negotiationsOpponents use a third party

• Good Offices – provision of a neutral site and possibly facilities and personnel

• Conciliation – passive participation, as by listening to the parties and offering compromise solutions

• Mediation active participation leading to a formal• Mediation – active participation leading to a formal proposal for resolution

• Arbitration – negotiations leading to a formal ruling which, by prior consent of the parties, may be either binding or advisory.

• Judicial proceedings – resolution in a trial-like manner before a mutually recognized legal authority, leading to a (theoretically binding) decision.

Geneva • Home of the International Red Cross and other international agencies

• European headquarters of theheadquarters of the United Nations

• Home of the former League of Nations

• Major city of an historically neutral country.

United Nations offices in Geneva(Former headquarters of The League of Nations)

The Geneva Convention(s)Four international treaties/agreements that constitute a

body of international law regarding warfare

• First Geneva Convention (1864) for the amelioration of the condition of the wounded and sick in armed forces in the field

• Second Geneva Convention (1906) applies the First Geneva Convention to shipwrecked members ofGeneva Convention to shipwrecked members of armed forces at sea.

• Third Geneva Convention (1929) pertains to treatment of prisoners of war.

• Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) pertains to treatment and care of civilians during time of war.

• The whole set is often referred to as The Geneva Convention

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The Peace PalaceHome of the International Court of Justice

The Hague, Netherlands

International Criminal CourtThe Hague, Netherlands

(Temporary quarters, left;planned facility, below)

International Court of justice – the primary judicial

organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands. Its main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by States and to provide advisory opinions on legal questions

submitted to it by duly authorized international organs,

agencies and the UN General Assemblyagencies, and the UN General Assembly.

International Criminal Court – a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes

against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. Headquartered in The Hague, but

proceedings can take place anywhere.

In an increasingly interdependent world, countries increasingly have too much to lose by going to war.

One result is a growing importance ofConflict Avoidance and Resolution

• International Law – a complex body of treaties, principles, judicial decisions, customs, practices and writings that are theoretically binding on States in their mutual relationstheir mutual relations

• Conventions – multi-lateral treaties that, if ratified, are binding on the signatories and become part of international law. (Kyoto Convention)

• Sanctions – any number of penalties imposed on a country for breaking international law, typically having the effect of isolating the offender-State.

The Military Landscape

• Military bases• National training centers• Bombing ranges and weapons g g p

testing centers• National Military Parks• Historic Fortifications• Military manufacturing plants

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Examples of Special purpose districtsVoting districts

Interstate Compacts

School Districts

Public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), mainly for grazing

National Parks, Monuments, Historic Sites and Recreation Areas

National Forests and National Grasslands

National Wildlife Refuges, National Scenic Rivers, Wilderness Areas and Outer Continental Shelf

Nellis AFB and Area 51

LANDSATImagesg

of Nellis AFB

SR-71s at Nellis AFB

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Make-believe town, Ft. Irwin

Ft. McHenry, Baltimore

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Gettysburg National Military Park Preserved Frontier Outpost

Fort Davis National Historic Site Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

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Castle Clinton National MonumentThe Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptorin flight, and under construction

in Marietta, Georgia

U.S. Defense Budgets in recent Years