Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Notes on contributors
- Introduction
- 1 Legitimacy and the use of force: can the circle be squared?
- 2 Legality and legitimacy: the quest for principled flexibility and restraint
- 3 Not yet havoc: geopolitical change and the international rules on military force
- 4 Liberal hierarchy and the licence to use force
- 5 The age of liberal wars
- 6 Force, legitimacy, success and Iraq
- 7 War and international relations: a military historical perspective on force and legitimacy
- 8 The judgement of war: on the idea of legitimate force in world politics
- 9 Discourses of difference: civilians, combatants and compliance with the laws of wars
- 10 Fights about rules: the role of efficacy and power in changing multilateralism
- 11 Peacekeeping and enforcement action in Africa: the role of Europe and the obligations of multilateralism
- 12 Identity, legitimacy and the use of military force: Russia's Great Power identities and military intervention in Abkhazia
- 13 Dead or alive: American vengeance goes global
- Index
7 - War and international relations: a military historical perspective on force and legitimacy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 July 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Notes on contributors
- Introduction
- 1 Legitimacy and the use of force: can the circle be squared?
- 2 Legality and legitimacy: the quest for principled flexibility and restraint
- 3 Not yet havoc: geopolitical change and the international rules on military force
- 4 Liberal hierarchy and the licence to use force
- 5 The age of liberal wars
- 6 Force, legitimacy, success and Iraq
- 7 War and international relations: a military historical perspective on force and legitimacy
- 8 The judgement of war: on the idea of legitimate force in world politics
- 9 Discourses of difference: civilians, combatants and compliance with the laws of wars
- 10 Fights about rules: the role of efficacy and power in changing multilateralism
- 11 Peacekeeping and enforcement action in Africa: the role of Europe and the obligations of multilateralism
- 12 Identity, legitimacy and the use of military force: Russia's Great Power identities and military intervention in Abkhazia
- 13 Dead or alive: American vengeance goes global
- Index
Summary
Writing on international relations frequently makes reference to the use of force, but rarely integrates changes in its nature into a central role in the explanatory model. In particular, force, in the shape of military capability, is often seen as the ‘servant’ of ideas about its appropriate use, and thus of the norms of the international system, rather than as an independent element, let alone playing a central role in affecting the latter. This article addresses the issue with particular reference to relations between the West and the ‘non-West’, arguing that the contested relationship between the different narratives of military history impinge directly on the character of international relations.
Differing narratives of military history
That this issue is directly pertinent today stems most apparently from the crisis in Iraq, but is in no way restricted to it, because differing views on the effectiveness and legitimacy of military capability play a major role in conflicts and confrontations around the world. Indeed, whether war is seen to stem from mistaken assessments of relative power or from bellicosity, these differing views play a key role.
Nevertheless, the Iraq crisis indicates important aspects of the issue. First, a concern about the spread of ‘weapons of mass destruction’ played an important role, at least in the public explanation of American and British policy towards Iraq prior to the conflict; while it has certainly played a major part in the diplomacy focused on particular states, especially North Korea, Libya and Iran.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Force and Legitimacy in World Politics , pp. 127 - 142Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2006