INR 2002 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Preventive War, International Relations, Security Dilemma
Document Summary
Why war? (3 explanations: realism and anarchy. Realism argues that war is the inevitable result of international anarchy (state of disorder due to lack of authority) The absence of a central authority capable of policing interstate relations means that wars can happen because there is nothing to stop states from using force to get their way. *anarchy creates insecurity and a competition for power. States fight wars either to increase their own power, or to counter the power of others. For this reason, realism emphasizes two dynamics that can lead to war: preventative war the desire to fight in order to prevent an enemy from becoming relatively more powerful, security dilemma. Efforts that the state makes to defend themselves, such as acquiring a big military, that make other states fear that they will be attacked. Result is a spiral of fear and insecurity that can sometimes lead to war.
