Why do states go to war?

[Michael Dorosh]

Well, if you look at alot of the literature, you'll see that racism was a big factor in the lead up to the Pacific War - I think it was called "yellow fever"; I remember Glorified Ape talking about it.  Government and the standard of intellectual debate within a society certainly act as filters on the actions states take on behalf of their citizenry - this is why we only interred Japanese while the Germans burned Jews and other untermench to ashes.  But these filters don't exclude the fact those same base emotions led to the outcomes being considered in the first place.  Why else would Canadians approve of wholesale lockup of Canadian citizens based upon their race?  Because they quite simply saw all "Japs" as a threat; we dropped our convictions in the act of giving into fear.  For the good of the Aryan race, the Germans accepted their course - in this case, the voice of reason was overwhelmed by base hatred, fear and scapegoating.

Ah....okay, reread this, and I think this is reasonable.  As I indicated, yes, fear was at the heart of it - and good dose of racism.  But I still don't think the decision was easy (or hope it wasn't) and will reiterate that it wasn't done simply out of spite.  They thought it was the right thing to do - and you'll notice that those alive at the time never apologized for it.  Compensation and apology was still being fought over during Mulroney's term as PM.  By then it was no doubt embarrassment and guilt that prevented them from doing so - or just chintziness, as was also the case I think with the Merchant Marine and their veteran's benefits.

Whatever it is - certainly not black and white, eh?    I think you may have already answered my last question to you, then.

 

[Infanteer]

I didn't compare the Liberals to the National Socialists; I compared their thought processes.

I'll restate my opinion that the thought process is a filter - it is an "upper brain" function and it doesn't eliminate (nor really explain) the instinctive reasons on why we send our kith and kin away to fight and die.

Now come on - slowly and with feeling - why did Germany and Canada fight each other in the Second World War?

Complex reasons probably rooted in the clash between British Imperialism and German Nationalism that occured at the dawn of the 20th century.  You could go into Hegal to find the answer, but I am willing to bet that underneath it all, the instinct tied into kin-selection was at the root.

Now, for anyone who wants to read into this more, I suggest Michael Ghiglieri's The Dark Side of Man.  The entire book is well worth the read, but chapters 6 (War) and 7 (Genocide) are most relevent to this discussion.  "War", which is really nothing but aggression by one group against another, predates human civilization (and I'm willing to bet Homo Sapiens Sapiens as well) - the book does well to point out that humans don't have a monopoly on "war" and organized violence.  It also does an excellent job on describing how the path to violence and aggression is deeply rooted in our lower brainstems - as an instinct it is as natural as crapping and breathing for us.  It thus seems logical to conclude that the "will to war" is rooted here as well; sure we fancy things up (as civilization is apt to do) but it doesn't undue the root causes like kingroup selection and aggression (and why these dominate the psyche at times).

 

[Kirkhill]

Congratulations guys... I think you are supplying kas a case study here.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

I read Conrad Lorenz on Aggression but that was ages ago.  Okay, a time out while I add yet another damn book to my reading list.  ;D  Don't let Big Bad Bruce lock this one up in the meantime, I'll come back after my homework assignment.  Off to check the U of C library website for availability....

 

[Zartan]

A democracy has never made war against another democracy.    

Since the last time this was brought up, I've put some thought towards the subject, and was wondering if the Second Boer War between British and the Afrikaners of the Transvaal and Oranje Free State would count?

 

[Brad Sallows]

>Why do states go to war?

Because the alternative is to fade away as you accede to every demand put to you in order to appease.

 

[Glorified Ape]

That's the question I have to answer for my political science term paper.

I'm asking it here primarily in the hopes that people might have suggestions about good books which cover this topic in general or in regards to specific wars. If people would like to throw in their personal views for discussion, I certainly won't complain about that.

Thanks very much,

Kas.

I'd wager your professor is looking for a theoretical explanation - IE the Realist view, the Marxist view, the Liberal view, the Rational Choice view, etc. Give "International Politics" by Robert J. Art and Robert Jervis a try. Take a look at "Introduction to International Relations: A Reader" Axel Hülsemeyer and Julian Schofield too. Those are pretty broad, but they contain alot of good theoretical articles.

Here's the reading list for a course called "The Causes of War":

Jack S. Levy, "The Causes of War: A Review of Theories and Evidence", in Philip E. Tetlock, Jo L. Husbands, Robert Jervis, Paul C. Stern, and Charles Tilly (eds.), Behavior, Society, and Nuclear War - Vol.1, (New York: Oxford UP, 1989), 210-333

Deborah Larsen, Origins of Containment - A Psychological Explanation (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985), 24-65

Robert Jervis, "Hypotheses on Misperception", World Politics, 454-479

Ole R. Holsti, "Theories of Crisis Decision Making", in Paul Gordon Lauren (ed.), Diplomacy (NY: Free Press, 1979), 99-136

Francis Fukuyama, "Women and the Evolution of World Politics," Foreign Affairs 77, no.5 (September-October 1998), 24-40

Barbara Ehrenreich, Katha Pollitt, Brian Ferguson, Lionel Tiger and Jane Jaquette, "Fukuyama's Follies - So What If Women Ruled the World?" Foreign Affairs 78, no.1 (January-Fenruary 1999), 118-129

Edmund Beard, "Warfare Among Eskimos", in Cordier (ed.), Columbia Essays in International Affairs (1969), 28-50

Jack Snyder, Myths of Empire - Domestic Politics and International Ambition, (Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1991), 112-152

Stephen Walt, Revolution and War (Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1996), 210-268

Jack S. Levy, 'The Diversionary Theory of War: A Critique', in Manus I. Midlarsky (ed.), Handbook of War Studies (Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press 1989).

John J. Mearsheimer, Conventional Deterrence (Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1983), 23-66

Richard Ned Lebow, Between Peace and War (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1981), 23-29, 41-53, 57-61.

Jack S. Levy, 'The Offensive/Defensive Balance of Military Technology: A Theoretical and Historical Analysis', International Studies Quarterly 28 (1984), 219-238

Jack Levy, "Long Cycles, Hegemonic Transitions, and the Long Peace," in Charles Kegley (ed.) The Long Postwar Peace (New York: Harper Collins, 1991), 147-176
Jack Levy, "Theories of General War," World Politics (April 1985), 344-374

Thomas F. Homer Dixon, "Environmental Scarcities and Violent Conflict: Evidence from Cases," International Security 19, no.1 (Spring 1994), 5-40

John J. Mearsheimer, "The False Promise of International Institutions", International Security 19/3 (Winter 1994/1995), 5-49

That should give you more than enough material to start with.

Examples of this may be that Alberta has not declared war on Ontario.  A democracy has never made
war against another democracy. 

Alberta and Ontario aren't states, they're provinces within a state and thus aren't under the purview of Democratic Peace Theory.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

James F. Dunnigan has also written some books on the subject that may be worth looking at; one entitled HOW TO STOP A WAR may be of value.

 

[kas]

Thanks very much, everybody. Just finished up my paper and handed it in an hour ago. I think it turned out alright, though unfortunately time constraints limited how thoroughly I was able to research it. Keegan's book was very helpful, thanks for the suggestion paracowboy, and the amazing list you posted Glorified Ape.

Congratulations guys... I think you are supplying kas a case study here.

If only the paper had been on the causes of flame wars, I would've been completely gtg with just the conversation here.

Thanks again,

Kas.