Why nations go to war

Behaviour theory

Definition

• The behaviour theory is the idea that wars and conflicts are started though a persons or countries aggression at another thing.

Example

• The genocide in Rwanda • This was in 1994 between the Hutu's and the

Tutsis • It was estimated that 800,000 Tutsis were

massacred during this conflict • Both groups hated each other and this lead to

the mass killing of the tutsis

Strengths

• Can use empirical evidence to back up the theory as this is learnt though observation

• Can be backed up with day to day events e.g. football violence

Weaknesses

• Lack of evidence to the theory due to it being uncommon

• States the humans are inherently violent which hasn’t been proven

Youth Bulge Theory

• Youth bulge theory: Where nations have very large numbers of unemployed and poorly educated young males who seek to burn off their aggression in conflict. This is shown in WW2, America had only just game out of the great depression in 1929 and where slowly recovering from unemployment as Roosevelt’s New Deal did not provide a full solution. But WW2 did create huge employment where youths where able to burn off their aggression in conflict because they where unemployed. It could be argued that Hitler went to war due to the Youth Bulge theory to some extent. Having just come out of hyperinflation in 1929 and having to pay reparations to Britain they could not afford(Even with the introduction of the Dawes Plan by America) when Hitler became Chancellor in 1931 War was a method to employ the Young who where angry at Britain because of the reparations they had to pay as part of the Treaty of Versaille in 1919. This is shown as Hitler created groups such as Hitler Youths where young where taught how to fight the war and be aggressive in a war.

Strength

This is a good explanation of why people go to War, because if there are a large number of youths unemployed and there is a breakdown of relation with other Nations, there are often a large number of youths who want there to be war for employment and a easy method for leaders. As shown in Nazi Germany.

Weakness

• However this not a good method to go to war, due to the concept of a Just War where you should only go to war for a good reason, where just going to war for employment is not.

Economic Theory

What is it?

• Wars that occur due to disputes over territory, and over the natural resources needed to secure the country’s wealth and security

Example

• Russia’s invasion of Ukraine• Ukraine has supplies of natural gas, oil and

iron ore deposits as well as having factories that supply Russia with weapons

• Russia wants these, as well as to keep Ukraine under their control in order to secure the weapons for their army/navy and client states

Strengths and weaknesses

Strength• The natural gas, oil and iron

ore deposits can be sold to get more money for Russia

• Russia have the weapons/parts factories under their control

Weakness • Possibility of losing and

giving control back to Ukraine

• Loss of income from sale of weapons/parts to client states

Leadership theory

The theory that the cause of war is attributed to the will of the leader

Explanation

• This top down theory of war states that wars are not started by nations but by individuals in power who wish to maintain their popularity and thus their power. They achieve these goals by being charismatic (popularity) and exploiting the peoples fears and worries.

• These men, often mentally unbalanced are allowed to power through the lack of democracy so the electorates cannot be screened.

example

• Hitler in world war 2, he through his ideology brought Germany into another world war even after the horrors the world experienced in the first world war.

• He fits the leadership theory of being both charismatic and ruthless to achieve his goals. He also played on the generally neutral population through fear of Jews and a weak Germany.

strengths

• As previously mentioned its highly evident in history• It can explain why neutral populations are dragged

into war

Weaknesses

• Even though its evident in history, leadership has always been the spark to light the gunpowder i.e. economic collapse and vengeance for the treaty of Versailles in Nazi Germany.

• There are many other reasons because nations who have weak leadership and are very democratic still go to war. i.e. evolutionary/instinctual need for war

Malthusian Theory

definition

• War a caused by population expansion and the need for more resources, especially

water.

• Why this applies to the Malthusian Theory: Because Turkey, Syria and Iraq want damns in the Tigris River but often clash on where they want the placement of the dams. This is part

of the theory because the conflict occurs over the need for/wants for water or ownership of

water