Download or read book Killing Civilians in Civil War written by Jürgen Brandsch and published by FirstForumPress. This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conventional wisdom tells us that targeting civilians in civil wars makes little sense as a combat strategy. Yet, the indiscriminate violence continues. Why?To tackle this vexing question, Jürgen Brandsch looks closely at the on-the-ground impact of indiscriminate violence-and what he finds shows that there often is, in fact, a method to the madness. Making the provocative argument that slaughtering innocent civilians may be rational behavior on the part of the perpetrators, Brandsch provides an important piece in the puzzle of how to understand, and ultimately prevent, such atrocities.
Download or read book The Logic of Violence in Civil War written by Stathis N. Kalyvas and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2006-05-01 with total page 20 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By analytically decoupling war and violence, this book explores the causes and dynamics of violence in civil war. Against the prevailing view that such violence is an instance of impenetrable madness, the book demonstrates that there is logic to it and that it has much less to do with collective emotions, ideologies, and cultures than currently believed. Kalyvas specifies a novel theory of selective violence: it is jointly produced by political actors seeking information and individual civilians trying to avoid the worst but also grabbing what opportunities their predicament affords them. Violence, he finds, is never a simple reflection of the optimal strategy of its users; its profoundly interactive character defeats simple maximization logics while producing surprising outcomes, such as relative nonviolence in the 'frontlines' of civil war.
Download or read book Militarized Politics and Indiscriminate Counterinsurgency written by Stephan Pikner and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do some states fighting a civil war use force indiscriminately? Despite the risks to regime legitimacy and questionable practical effectiveness, indiscriminate violence in civil war remains a common phenomenon. While such abuses have typically been attributed to authoritarian rule, regimes with electoral systems and broad selectorates also use indiscriminate counterinsurgency. I argue that a critical-and underexplored-mechanism behind indiscriminate counterinsurgency is the political role of the military within a broader electoral regime. If politically reliant on or unable to rein in their armed forces, a regime's civilian leadership may defer to the military's predisposition for using overwhelming firepower, limited ability to differentiate insurgents from the general population, and preferred goal of unconditional victory. In these cases, attempts to moderate the military's strategy may result in the armed forces undermining the civilian leadership, threatening its political survival. Drawing on a novel extension of a recent coding of indirect military rule, I use a series of Bayesian multi-level models to test whether the interaction between militarized politics and the regime's breadth of support drives the use of indiscriminate counterinsurgency in the post Cold-War world. I then explore the Indonesian military's use of indiscriminate violence against civilians in Aceh in the years following the collapse of the authoritarian Suharto regime. Over the course of the four presidents that followed Suharto there was significant variation in the both political clout of the military and the breadth of support for the government, as well as in my dependent variable of indiscriminate counterinsurgency. By focusing within this single case, an intrastate conflict where the broader dynamics often linked with regime violence largely remained constant, I am able to better isolate the effect of militarized politics and selectorate size on indiscriminate counterinsurgency. Tracing how these shifts in Jakarta, particularly the political relevance and independence of the military, shaped events on the ground in Aceh provides strong qualitative evidence that complements my statistical model and supports my theorized role of militarized politics as an important causal factor in explaining the phenomenon of indiscriminate counterinsurgency.
Download or read book The Prohibition of Inhumane and Indiscriminate Weapons written by Malvern Lumsden and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book War Crimes and the Conduct of Hostilities written by Fausto Pocar and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2013-09-30 with total page 405 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ŠThis comprehensive collection addresses an overlooked area: war crimes and the conduct of hostilities. It uplifts aspects that are particularly under-appreciated, including cultural property, fact-finding, arms transfer, chemical weapons, sexual viole
Download or read book A History of the Laws of War Volume 2 written by Alexander Gillespie and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-10-07 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique new work of reference traces the origins of the modern laws of warfare from the earliest times to the present day. Relying on written records from as far back as 2400 BCE, and using sources ranging from the Bible to Security Council Resolutions, the author pieces together the history of a subject which is almost as old as civilisation itself. The author shows that as long as humanity has been waging wars it has also been trying to find ways of legitimising different forms of combatants and ascribing rules to them, protecting civilians who are either inadvertently or intentionally caught up between them, and controlling the use of particular classes of weapons that may be used in times of conflict. Thus it is that this work is divided into three substantial parts: Volume 1 on the laws affecting combatants and captives; Volume 2 on civilians; and Volume 3 on the law of arms control. This second book on civilians examines four different topics. The first topic deals with the targetting of civilians in times of war. This discussion is one which has been largely governed by the developments of technologies which have allowed projectiles to be discharged over ever greater areas, and attempts to prevent their indiscriminate utilisation have struggled to keep pace. The second topic concerns the destruction of the natural environment, with particular regard to the utilisation of starvation as a method of warfare, and unlike the first topic, this one has rarely changed over thousands of years, although contemporary practices are beginning to represent a clear break from tradition. The third topic is concerned with the long-standing problems of civilians under the occupation of opposing military forces, where the practices of genocide, collective punishments and/or reprisals, and rape have occurred. The final topic in this volume is about the theft or destruction of the property of the enemy, in terms of either pillage or the intentional devastation of the cultural property of the opposition. As a work of reference this set of three books is unrivalled, and will be of immense benefit to scholars and practitioners researching and advising on the laws of warfare. It also tells a story which throws fascinating new light on the history of international law and on the history of warfare itself.
Download or read book Targeting Civilians in War written by Alexander B. Downes and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2011-05-15 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Accidental harm to civilians in warfare often becomes an occasion for public outrage, from citizens of both the victimized and the victimizing nation. In this vitally important book on a topic of acute concern for anyone interested in military strategy, international security, or human rights, Alexander B. Downes reminds readers that democratic and authoritarian governments alike will sometimes deliberately kill large numbers of civilians as a matter of military strategy. What leads governments to make such a choice? Downes examines several historical cases: British counterinsurgency tactics during the Boer War, the starvation blockade used by the Allies against Germany in World War I, Axis and Allied bombing campaigns in World War II, and ethnic cleansing in the Palestine War. He concludes that governments decide to target civilian populations for two main reasons—desperation to reduce their own military casualties or avert defeat, or a desire to seize and annex enemy territory. When a state's military fortunes take a turn for the worse, he finds, civilians are more likely to be declared legitimate targets to coerce the enemy state to give up. When territorial conquest and annexation are the aims of warfare, the population of the disputed land is viewed as a threat and the aggressor state may target those civilians to remove them. Democracies historically have proven especially likely to target civilians in desperate circumstances. In Targeting Civilians in War, Downes explores several major recent conflicts, including the 1991 Persian Gulf War and the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Civilian casualties occurred in each campaign, but they were not the aim of military action. In these cases, Downes maintains, the achievement of quick and decisive victories against overmatched foes allowed democracies to win without abandoning their normative beliefs by intentionally targeting civilians. Whether such "restraint" can be guaranteed in future conflicts against more powerful adversaries is, however, uncertain. During times of war, democratic societies suffer tension between norms of humane conduct and pressures to win at the lowest possible costs. The painful lesson of Targeting Civilians in War is that when these two concerns clash, the latter usually prevails.
Download or read book A History of the Laws of War Volume 3 written by Alexander Gillespie and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-10-07 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique work of reference traces the origins of the modern laws of warfare from the earliest times to the present day. Relying on written records from as far back as 2400 BCE, and using sources ranging from the Bible to Security Council Resolutions, the author pieces together the history of a subject which is almost as old as civilisation itself. The author shows that as long as humanity has been waging wars it has also been trying to find ways of legitimising different forms of combatants and ascribing rules to them, protecting civilians who are either inadvertently or intentionally caught up between them, and controlling the use of particular classes of weapons that may be used in times of conflict. Thus it is that this work is divided into three substantial parts: Volume 1 on the laws affecting combatants and captives; Volume 2 on civilians; and Volume 3 on the law of arms control. This third volume deals with the question of the control of weaponry, from the Bronze Age to the Nuclear Age. In doing so, it divides into two parts: namely, conventional weapons and Weapons of Mass Destruction. The examination of the history of arms control of conventional weapons begins with the control of weaponry so that one side could achieve a military advantage over another. This pattern, which only began to change centuries after the advent of gunpowder, was later supplemented by ideals to control types of conventional weapons because their impacts upon opposing combatants were inhumane. By the late twentieth century, the concerns over inhumane conventional weapons were being supplemented by concerns over indiscriminate conventional weapons. The focus on indiscriminate weapons, when applied on a mass scale, is the core of the second part of the volume. Weapons of Mass Destruction are primarily weapons of the latter half of the twentieth century. Although both chemical and biological warfare have long historical lineages, it was only after the Second World War that technological developments meant that these weapons could be applied to cause large-scale damage to non-combatants. thi is unlike uclear weapons, which are a truly modern invention. Despite being the newest Weapon of Mass Destruction, they are also the weapon of which most international attention has been applied, although the frameworks by which they were contained in the last century, appear inadequate to address the needs of current times. As a work of reference this set of three books is unrivalled, and will be of immense benefit to scholars and practitioners researching and advising on the laws of warfare. It also tells a story which throws fascinating new light on the history of international law and on the history of warfare itself.
Download or read book The Oxford Guide to International Humanitarian Law written by Ben Saul and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2020-05-07 with total page 481 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: International humanitarian law is the law that governs the conduct of participants during armed conflict. This branch of law aims to regulate the means and methods of warfare as well as to provide protections to those who do not, or who no longer, take part in the hostilities. It is one of the oldest branches of international law and one of enduring relevance today. The Oxford Guide to International Humanitarian Law provides a practical yet sophisticated overview of this important area of law. Written by a stellar line up of contributors, drawn from those who not only have extensive practical experience but who are also regarded as leading scholars of the subject, the text offers a comprehensive and authoritative exposition of the field. The Guide provides professionals and advanced students with information and analysis of sufficient depth to enable them to perform their tasks with understanding and confidence. Each chapter illuminates how the law applies in practice, but does not shy away from the important conceptual issues that underpin how the law has developed. It will serve as a first port of call and a regular reference work for those interested in international humanitarian law.
Download or read book Use of Force War and Neutrality Peace Treaties A M written by Rudolf Bernhardt and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2014-05-12 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Encyclopedia of Public International Law, 3: Use of Force, War, and Neutrality Peace Treaties (A-M) focuses on hostile inter-State relations and associated questions, including the use of force, war, neutrality, and peace treaties. The publication first elaborates on the Munich Agreement, mines, militias, military reconnaissance, objectives, necessity, government, and forces abroad, mercenaries, liberation movements, land warfare, intervention, international military force, indiscriminate attack, and the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928). The text then ponders on humanitarian law and armed conflict, flags and uniform in wars, enemies and enemy subjects, disarming of belligerents by neutrals, demarcation line, deserters, economic warfare, combatants, contributions, and contraband. The book examines collective punishment, measures, security, and self-defense, boundary settlements between Germany and her western neighbor states after World War II, bombardment, armistice, arms control, Asama Maru incident, air warfare, and alliance. The text is a vital source of data for researchers interested in the use of force, war, and neutrality peace treaties.
Download or read book Indiscriminate Fire written by Bonnie Lynn Docherty and published by Human Rights Watch. This book was released on 2007-07-07 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 146-page report finds that both Palestinian armed groups and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have shown insufficient regard for civilian life. Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah’s al-Aqsa Brigades, and the Popular Resistance Committees, say the deliberate attacks on civilians with locally made and highly inaccurate rockets, known as Qassams, are reprisals for Israeli actions – but reprisals against civilians are always illegal. A reported reduction by the IDF in the “safety zone” between artillery targets and civilian areas in Gaza, as well as a sharp escalation of shelling in April 2006 following the Hamas political takeover of the Palestinian Authority, led to a jump in civilian casualties.
Download or read book Silent Spring written by Rachel Carson and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2002 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essential, cornerstone book of modern environmentalism is now offered in a handsome 40th anniversary edition which features a new Introduction by activist Terry Tempest Williams and a new Afterword by Carson biographer Linda Lear.
Download or read book Indiscriminate War written by S. NEALE and published by . This book was released on 1817 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book War on the Displaced written by Human Rights Watch (Organization) and published by Human Rights Watch. This book was released on 2009 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Indiscriminate War the Substance of a Sermon on Eccles Viii 8 Preached on the Lamented Death of the Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales Etc written by Samuel NEALE (Dissenting Minister.) and published by . This book was released on 1817 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Air Power and War Rights written by James Molony Spaight and published by . This book was released on 1924 with total page 518 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Bombing Civilians written by Toshiyuki Tanaka and published by The New Press. This book was released on 2009 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From British bombing in Iraq in the early 1920s to the most recent conflicts in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq and Lebanon, this detailed analysis explores the history of indiscriminate bombing, examining the fundamental questions of how strategies of mass killing originated and have been employed for decades. The book includes contributions from scholars in the US and Europe as well as a bold new argument by Japanese historian Tsuyoshi Hasegawa claiming that it was the Soviet invasion rather than atomic bombing that led to the Japanese surrender of the Pacific.
