POLI 205 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Gulf War, Humanitarian Intervention, Al-Qaeda
15 Jun 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
POLI205
October 2nd
The Post-Cold War Era
- In 1991, after the cold war had ended, U.S. President George H.W. Bush spoke of a “new world
order”
- The U.S. – U.S.S.R superpower rivalry would be replaced with international cooperation against
aggression and other common threats.
The Persian Gulf War (1990-91)
- The new world order was tested when Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990
- In 1991, the UN authorized an international coalition of states led by the U.S to liberate Kuwait
(operation Desert storm)
- The war was short and successful with very few coalition casualties.
The European Union
- In 1993, The European Community transformed into the European Union, where people goods,
and capital could move freely between member states without borders.
- There are currently 28 EU members.
- But despite these developments, the positive mindset of the 1990s was dampened by major
tragedies in three countries:
o Yugoslavia
o Somalia
o Rwanda
Yugoslavia
- War broke out in Yugoslavia in 1991, when Slovenia and Croatia seceded.
- When Bosnia-Herzegovina attempted to secede in 1992, a civil war erupted between Bosnian
Serbs, Bosniaks (Muslims), and Croats.
- The Serbs engaged in brutal policies of ethnic cleansing against the Bosniaks
- The war ended in 1995 following military intervention by the NATO
- Bosnia-Herzegovina became an independent country, but divided into a Bosniak-Croat
federation and a Bosnian Serb Republic.
- In 1999, when serbs carried out ethnic cleansing against Albanian Muslims in Kosovo, NATO
violated international law in laughing air strikes against Serb against in Yugoslavia
- Kusovo gained freedom from Yugoslavia, and Yugoslavia eventually disintegrated.
Somalia
- After its socialist dictator was ousted in 1991, Somalia, was torn apart by rival warlords and
famine erupted.
- When the UN humanitarian intervention failed, the U.S. intervened militarily, but withdrew in
failure in 1994 when American public opinion turned negative after seeing videos of American
Soldiers brutally killed.
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Document Summary
In 1991, after the cold war had ended, u. s. president george h. w. The u. s. u. s. s. r superpower rivalry would be replaced with international cooperation against aggression and other common threats. The new world order was tested when iraq invaded kuwait in august 1990. In 1991, the un authorized an international coalition of states led by the u. s to liberate kuwait (operation desert storm) The war was short and successful with very few coalition casualties. In 1993, the european community transformed into the european union, where people goods, and capital could move freely between member states without borders. But despite these developments, the positive mindset of the 1990s was dampened by major tragedies in three countries: yugoslavia, somalia, rwanda. War broke out in yugoslavia in 1991, when slovenia and croatia seceded. When bosnia-herzegovina attempted to secede in 1992, a civil war erupted between bosnian. The serbs engaged in brutal policies of ethnic cleansing against the bosniaks.
