WDW152H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Ariel Durant, Franco-Prussian War, Mutual Assured Destruction
12 May 2018
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Department
Course
Professor
Ariel and Durant two propositions: War is one of the constraints of history,
and has not diminished with civilization or democracy
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Chinese General Tzu's the Art of War. War can be governed by 5 factors:
moral law, heaven, earth, the commander, and method and discipline
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-spies: knowledge of the enemy's dispositions."
Clausewitz: War will continue to be used as an instrument of policy in
interstate conflicts, notwithstanding the proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction and information warfare
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-Secondly, Future wars caused by non-state actors ie organizations
Part 1: Historical Overview, W&P, 1.
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Peace is an unstable equilibrium, which can be preserved by
acknowledging supremacy or equal power.
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War like competition
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States provide basic security and encourage nationalism
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War is now science and development of technology
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USA taken over British role to protect western allies and fight against
communism
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Maintaining a world order through Mutual Assured Destruction and only
use treaties to solve issues and use diplomacy because we don’t want a lot
of casualties.
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Will Durant and Ariel Durant, “The Lessons of History,” W&P, 2-4.
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Genetics have an impact for human aggression?
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An instinct for self-preservation through natural selection
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Inter + intra group aggression
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Pseudospeciation: mechanism which enhances the evaluation of one's in-
group and demonizes an out-group, thus promoting violence
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Reading denies that we are genetically created for violence
“Theories of Causes of War,” W&P, 87.
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Used to science to justify war
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War is a product of culture
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We are not violent beings
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If we can make war…we can make peace…it's our responsibility
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Seville Statement on Violence, W&P, 94-96.
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Need wealth for military and need a strong military to protect + acquire
wealth.
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If a nation spends more money on the military instead of acquiring wealth
then they become weaker. Also, if it overextends itself strategically.
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No higher power in Europe leading them to be in a competition for
development which made them the stronger continent.
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Ie Habsburgs bid for mastery checked by the European powers
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Countries that made an advanced system of banking and credit were able
to enjoy their economies
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Geographical positioning was important as Russia and Britain were
sheltered from European disputes
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Britain began the Industrial revolution and annoyed Napoleon's bid for
European mastery
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1815 absence of lengthy coalition wars-Concert of Europe
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Paul Kennedy, “The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers,” W&P, 104-109.
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Reading 2.2: Why does war recur?
January 18, 2017
7:04 PM
READINGS Page 1
1815 absence of lengthy coalition wars-Concert of Europe
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Other major conflicts like Crimean war, American Civil war, and Franco-
Prussian war were bringing defeat upon societies who failed to modernize
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20th century technological advance and instability
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Eurocentric world system
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Strong powers: Russia, USA, Germany and Japan was causing issues in
East Asia
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World war 1
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1900-1950 bipolar world
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World war 2
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Crisis of the Cold war(Russia and the USA) causes an arms race
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5 powers: China, Japan, EEC, Soviet Union, and the USA
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Only general valid conclusions can be drawn from the history of the fall
and rise of the great powers
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Global productive balances toward the pacific rim
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2 factors between the great power's economic rise and fall, and growth
and decline in military power: 1) Need economic resources to sustain an
army;2) wealth and power are relative
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Your power depends on the nations that surround you ie Netherlands were
rich but France and Britain had more
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Lag time between wealth and military power
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Winners of wars are usually decided when they have the most resources to
use
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Int'l system consists of competition for resources and hegemonic power
over smaller states
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Diff international power-sharing systems can account for the likelihood of
interstate conflict
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Multipolar configurations reduce the likelihood of war as there are no
unilateral actions but it isn't stable in the long run-Karl Deutsch and David
Singer
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Kenneth waltz and Scott Sagan debate whether horizontal proliferation of
nuclear weapons increases or decreases the possibility of warfare
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-Waltz supports the principle of rational deterrence
-Sagan states the heads of states are rational actors not outside
organizations who can play a damaging role to nations.
“Political Theories,” W&P, 167
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Multipolarity system expected to diminish the frequency and intensity of
war
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Two semi-quantitative reasons why this will be the outcome
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Stability: the system where actors retains all of their essential
characteristics; that no single nation become dominant; most of its
members continue to survive; and large scale war does not occur
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Individual nations must have political independence and territory integrity
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Independent actors are responsive to coalition members
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Nations are competitive
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Pluralism model: if all members in class Blue line up with one another and
against all or in class Red-the line of cleavage will be wide and deep, with
positive feedback. Thus displaying cross-pressures to inhibit any
superimpositions or reinforcement
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More actors = more interaction
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Every nation's needs and supplies differ
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The correlation between number of independent actors and the probability
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Karl W. Deutsch and David Singer, “Multipolar Systems and International
Stability,” W&P, 168-173.
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READINGS Page 2
Document Summary
Ariel and durant two propositions: war is one of the constraints of history, and has not diminished with civilization or democracy. War can be governed by 5 factors: moral law, heaven, earth, the commander, and method and discipline. Clausewitz: war will continue to be used as an instrument of policy in interstate conflicts, notwithstanding the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and information warfare. Secondly, future wars caused by non-state actors ie organizations. Will durant and ariel durant, the lessons of history, w&p, 2-4. Peace is an unstable equilibrium, which can be preserved by acknowledging supremacy or equal power. War is now science and development of technology. Usa taken over british role to protect western allies and fight against communism. Maintaining a world order through mutual assured destruction and only use treaties to solve issues and use diplomacy because we don"t want a lot of casualties.
