Theories of War CausationTheories of War Causation
Schools & VariantsSchools & Variants
Johan M.G. van der Dennen
Theories of War Causation• Demographic-Ecological School
• Economic School
• Imperialism School
• Political-Strategic School
Theories of War Causation• Demographic-Ecological School
• Economic School
• Imperialism School
• Political-Strategic School
• (Social)-Psychological School
Theories of War Causation• Demographic-Ecological School
• Economic School
• Imperialism School
• Political-Strategic School
• (Social)-Psychological School
• Apologetic School
Theories of War Causation• Demographic-Ecological School
– Population pressure (Plato) / ‘Lebensraum’
Theories of War Causation• Demographic-Ecological School
– Population pressure (Plato) / ‘Lebensraum’– Demographic relaxation / Filicide (Bouthoul)
Theories of War Causation• Demographic-Ecological School
– Population pressure (Plato) / ‘Lebensraum’– Demographic relaxation / Filicide (Bouthoul)– Lateral pressure / distribution of resources
Theories of War Causation• Demographic-Ecological School
– Population pressure (Plato) / ‘Lebensraum’– Demographic relaxation / Filicide (Bouthoul)– Lateral pressure / distribution of resources– Geopolitical variant (Haushofer)
Theories of War Causation• Economic School (Material gain / pleonexia)
– Mercantilists– Physiocrats / Manchester School / Liberals
Theories of War Causation• Economic School (Material gain / pleonexia)
– Mercantilists– Physiocrats / Manchester School / Liberals– Marxists
Theories of War Causation• Economic School (Material gain / pleonexia)
– Mercantilists– Physiocrats / Manchester School / Liberals– Marxists– Merchants of death / War-profiteering / Scandal
Theories of War Causation• Economic School (Material gain / pleonexia)
– Mercantilists– Physiocrats / Manchester School / Liberals– Marxists– Merchants of death / War-profiteering / Scandal– Military-industrial(-academic) complex
Theories of War Causation• Imperialism School (Material & territorial gain)
– Conservative variant– Liberal variant (Hobson)
Theories of War Causation• Imperialism School (Material & territorial gain)
– Conservative variant– Liberal variant (Hobson)– Marxist-Leninist / Revisionist / Neo-Marxist
Theories of War Causation• Imperialism School (Material & territorial gain)
– Conservative variant– Liberal variant (Hobson)– Marxist-Leninist / Revisionist / Neo-Marxist– Militarist variant (Schumpeter)
Theories of War Causation• Political-Strategic School (Power)
– ‘Ultima ratio’ / Cost-benefit calculus
Theories of War Causation• Political-Strategic School (Power)
– ‘Ultima ratio’ / Cost-benefit calculus• Machiavelli • Hobbes • Clausewitz • Realists
(Morgenthau, Waltz) • Expected utility theory (Bueno de Mesquita) • Blainey • Stoessinger
Theories of War Causation• Political-Strategic School (Power)
– ‘Ultima ratio’ / Cost-benefit calculus• Machiavelli • Hobbes • Clausewitz • Realists
(Morgenthau, Waltz) • Expected utility theory (Bueno de Mesquita) • Blainey • Stoessinger
– Balance of power / parity / preponderance
Theories of War Causation• Political-Strategic School (Power)
– ‘Ultima ratio’ / Cost-benefit calculus• Machiavelli • Hobbes • Clausewitz • Realists
(Morgenthau, Waltz) • Expected utility theory (Bueno de Mesquita) • Blainey • Stoessinger
– Balance of power / parity / preponderance• Polarity • Deterrence / Security dilemma • Arms
races
Theories of War Causation• Political-Strategic School (Power)
– ‘Ultima ratio’ / Cost-benefit calculus• Machiavelli • Hobbes • Clausewitz • Realists
(Morgenthau, Waltz) • Expected utility theory (Bueno de Mesquita) • Blainey • Stoessinger
– Balance of power / parity / preponderance• Polarity • Deterrence / Security dilemma • Arms
races
– Power transition theory and hegemonic war
Theories of War Causation• Political-Strategic School (Power)
– ‘Ultima ratio’ / Cost-benefit calculus• Machiavelli • Hobbes • Clausewitz • Realists
(Morgenthau, Waltz) • Expected utility theory (Bueno de Mesquita) • Blainey • Stoessinger
– Balance of power / parity / preponderance• Polarity • Deterrence / Security dilemma • Arms
races
– Power transition theory and hegemonic war– Rank disequilibrium theory (Galtung)
Theories of War Causation• (Social-)Psychological School (Bête humaine)
– Human nature / bête humaine / passions-reason
Theories of War Causation• (Social-)Psychological School (Bête humaine)
– Human nature / bête humaine / passions-reason• Thucydides (fear) • Hobbes: ‘competition,
diffidence, glory’
Theories of War Causation• (Social-)Psychological School (Bête humaine)
– Human nature / bête humaine / passions-reason• Thucydides (fear) • Hobbes: ‘competition,
diffidence, glory’
– Great men / Evil men (personified cataclysmic)
Theories of War Causation• (Social-)Psychological School (Bête humaine)
– Human nature / bête humaine / passions-reason• Thucydides (fear) • Hobbes: ‘competition,
diffidence, glory’
– Great men / Evil men (personified cataclysmic)– National character / (Mass) psychopathology
Theories of War Causation• (Social-)Psychological School (Bête humaine)
– Human nature / bête humaine / passions-reason• Thucydides (fear) • Hobbes: ‘competition,
diffidence, glory’
– Great men / Evil men (personified cataclysmic)– National character / (Mass) psychopathology– Minds of Men variant: misperception & comm.
Theories of War Causation• (Social-)Psychological School (Bête humaine)
– Human nature / bête humaine / passions-reason• Thucydides (fear) • Hobbes: ‘competition,
diffidence, glory’
– Great men / Evil men (personified cataclysmic)– National character / (Mass) psychopathology– Minds of Men variant: misperception & comm.– Instinctivist variants (pugnacity / ‘Todestrieb’)
• Herd instincts • aggressive instincts • adventurism
Theories of War Causation• (Social-)Psychological School (Bête humaine)
– Human nature / bête humaine / passions-reason• Thucydides (fear) • Hobbes: ‘competition,
diffidence, glory’
– Great men / Evil men (personified cataclysmic)– National character / (Mass) psychopathology– Minds of Men variant: misperception & comm.– Instinctivist variants (pugnacity / ‘Todestrieb’)
• Herd instincts • aggressive instincts • adventurism
– Frustration-aggression displacement variant
Theories of War Causation• (Social-)Psychological School (Bête humaine)
– Human nature / bête humaine / passions-reason• Thucydides (fear) • Hobbes: ‘competition, diffidence,
glory’
– Great men / Evil men (personified cataclysmic)– National character / (Mass) psychopathology– Minds of Men variant: misperception & comm.– Instinctivist variants (pugnacity / ‘Todestrieb’)
• Herd instincts • aggressive instincts • adventurism
– Frustration-aggression displacement variant– Obedience / Sociality / Group-altruism / Noble
Theories of War Causation• Apologetic School (war as necessity)
– Metaphysical variant (divine punishment)
Theories of War Causation• Apologetic School (war as necessity)
– Metaphysical variant (divine punishment)– Etatistic variant (Hegel)
Theories of War Causation• Apologetic School (war as necessity)
– Metaphysical variant (divine punishment)– Etatistic variant (Hegel)– Social Darwinist variant (‘agent of progress’)
Theories of War Causation• Apologetic School (war as necessity)
– Metaphysical variant (divine punishment)– Etatistic variant (Hegel)– Social Darwinist variant (‘agent of progress’)– Eschatological variants (‘proletarian paradise’)
Hu Chi Bo
War in both humans (Hu) and chimpanzees
(Chi) as relatively recent ‘cultural inventions’
‘Lethal male raiding’ as independently evolved in both humans and chimpanzees (implied by
van der Dennen)
‘Lethal male raiding’ in the common ancestor of both humans and chimpanzees 6 - 8 mya (Wrangham’s synapomorphy or shared derived trait).
Pitched battle type of intergroup agonistic behavior in primates generally, and possibly even in social and group territorial mammals generally (social carnivores, dolphins, etc.).
THE (CHRONO)LOGICALLY POSSIBLE THEORETICAL VIEWS ON THE EVOLUTION OF WAR AS PITCHED BATTLE AND RAIDING
Differences between battle and raidBATTLE RAID
guerra (real war),combat / pitched battle
also known as guerrilla (little war)
fight/flight-like motivationally predation-like
approx. balance ofpower
precipitated by Imbalance of power
very common in socialcarnivores and primates
occurrence in animals confined to panids andhominids
females and males(much less so in
humans)
sex of the belligerents exclusively male
relatively uncommonamong foraging
peoples (if presentoften ritualized)
occurrence in'primitive' societies
predominant and mostlethal among foraging
peoples
Differences between battle and raidBATTLE RAID
very common incontemporary warfare(but less common in
future)
occurrence in modernwarfare
relatively uncommon incontemporary warfare(but more common in
future)parallel lines /
phalanxesappearance ambush / dawn attack /
surprise raidclamor / bluff /
intimidation displaycharacterized by stealth / secrecy
biomechanicalprinciples
explained by tactical requirements (?)
impact of mass andspeed, encirclement,
feigned retreat
tactics hit and run, torching,indiscriminate killing
psychology of thesoldier (discipline)
underlying psychology psychology of thewarrior (frenzy)
Differences between battle and raidBATTLE RAID
too short line(envelopment), too long
line (penetration)
weakness andvulnerability
logistics, retreat
chance encounter,failed raid, failed
surprise attack
conditioned by surprise attack asdefault
ritualization (game-likewar) possible
ritualization? no ritualization possibleguerre à l'outrance
reconciliation inprinciple possible
reconciliation? no reconciliation,incessant cycles of
retaliation and revengeraiding
divine ordeal, expiatorycombat
metaphysical aspects magicoreligious magnet
relatively low but mayresult in routing and
massacre
lethality (casualties) relatively low butrapidly accumulating
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
Factors increasing the probability of the onset (occurrence/initiation) of war:
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
Factors increasing the probability of the onset (occurrence/initiation) of war:
• Level of analysis: state
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
Factors increasing the probability of the onset (occurrence/initiation) of war:
• Level of analysis: state Power status (major power)
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
Factors increasing the probability of the onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: state Power status (major power) Power cycle (critical point if major power)
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
Factors increasing the probability of the onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: state Power status (major power) Power cycle (critical point if major power) Alliance (alliance member)
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
Factors increasing the probability of the onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: state Power status (major power) Power cycle (critical point if major power) Alliance (alliance member) Borders (number of borders)
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: dyad Contiguity/proximity (common border/distance)
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: dyad Contiguity/proximity (common border/distance)
Political systems (absence of joint democracies)
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: dyad Contiguity/proximity (common border/distance)
Political systems (absence of joint democracies)
Economic development (absence of joint advanced economies)
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: dyad Contiguity/proximity (common border/distance)
Political systems (absence of joint democracies)
Economic development (absence of joint advanced economies)
Static capability balance (parity)
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: dyad Contiguity/proximity (common border/distance)
Political systems (absence of joint democracies)
Economic development (absence of joint advanced economies)
Static capability balance (parity)
Dynamic capability balance (unstable: transition)
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: dyad Contiguity/proximity (common border/distance)
Political systems (absence of joint democracies)
Economic development (absence of joint advanced economies)
Static capability balance (parity)
Dynamic capability balance (unstable: transition)
Alliance (unbalanced external alliance-tie)
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: dyad Contiguity/proximity (common border/distance)
Political systems (absence of joint democracies)
Economic development (absence of joint advanced economies)
Static capability balance (parity)
Dynamic capability balance (unstable: transition)
Alliance (unbalanced external alliance-tie)
Enduring rivalry
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: region Contagion/diffusion (presence of ongoing
regional war)
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: region Contagion/diffusion (presence of ongoing
regional war)
• Level of analysis: system
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: region Contagion/diffusion (presence of ongoing
regional war)
• Level of analysis: system Polarity (weak unipolarity/declining leader)
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: region Contagion/diffusion (presence of ongoing
regional war)
• Level of analysis: system Polarity (weak unipolarity/declining leader) Unstable hierarchy
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: region Contagion/diffusion (presence of ongoing
regional war)
• Level of analysis: system Polarity (weak unipolarity/declining leader) Unstable hierarchy Number of borders
War Causation: The Evidence• Onset (occurrence/initiation) of war
• Level of analysis: region Contagion/diffusion (presence of ongoing
regional war)
• Level of analysis: system Polarity (weak unipolarity/declining leader) Unstable hierarchy Number of borders Frequency of civil/revolutionary wars
War Causation: The Evidence• Seriousness of war
(magnitude/duration/severity) Factors increasing the probable seriousness (magnitude/duration/severity) of war:
War Causation: The Evidence• Seriousness of war
(magnitude/duration/severity) Factors increasing the probable seriousness (magnitude/duration/severity) of war:
• Level of analysis: state Power status (major power)
War Causation: The Evidence• Seriousness of war
(magnitude/duration/severity) Factors increasing the probable seriousness (magnitude/duration/severity) of war:
• Level of analysis: state Power status (major power)
• Level of analysis: system Alliance (high polarization)
War Causation: The Evidence– The Correlates of War (COW) Project defines an
'international war' as a military conflict waged between national entities, at least one of which is a state, and that results in at least 1,000 battle-deaths of military personnel.
– War magnitude – the sum of all participating nations' separate months of active involvement in each war
– War duration – the length in months from the inception of the war to its termination
– War severity – total battle deaths of military personnel in each war
• Source: Geller & Singer (1998: 27-28).