Tag: Conflict Prevention

Contrary to popular belief, geopolitics is not a synonym for foreign policy. Geopolitics comes in two strands. First, critical geopolitics scrutinises how rulers portray geographical space to mobilise support and achieve ends. Second, classical geopolitics investigates how geography and technology interact and influence international relations. The interaction between technology and geography distinguishes classical geopolitics from…

Hans Morgenthau was a prominent 20th-century political theorist. His work, particularly the book “Politics Among Nations,” laid the foundation for realism in international relations theory. Morgenthau emphasized the importance of power, national interests, and state behavior in global politics. He contended that states pursued their interests in a competitive world, and his ideas continue to…

Neorealism, also known as structural realism, argues that the structure of the international system impacts state behavior. Neorealism contends that the anarchic nature of the international system, where there is no central authority, drives states to prioritise their own security and survival. Unlike classical realism, neorealism puts more emphasis more on systemic factors and downplays…

Realism is one of the dominant theories in international relations and it emphasises national interest as well as the role of power. It is based on the idea that the world order is anarchic, meaning there is no central authority. In this anarchy, the supreme goal of the state is to survive, so states prioritise…

Napoleon became First Consul of France in 1796 and Emperor of France in 1804. Napoleon’s subdual of most of Continental Europe saw the rise of nationalism and the spread of the ideals of the French Revolution. Napoleon’s Grand Armée was severely weakened by his failed invasion of Russia in 1812 and suffered defeat at the…

According to the organisational behaviour model, states’ behaviour is not utility-maximizing. Instead, state action resembles the organisational output of government agencies. Organisations operate according to standard operating procedures, which can increase efficiency. However, standardisation also means procedures cannot be tailored to specific circumstances and could be outdated. Subsequently, government agencies might act in ways contradicting…

The Democratic Peace Theory argues that democracies are reluctant to engage in armed conflict with other democracies. This theory proposes that shared democratic norms lead to higher level of peaceful relations among democratic countries. It is based on the notion that democracies are accountable to their citizens, and citizens generally prefer peace over conflicts. However,…

The rational actor model assumes states assess policy options based on their predicted payoff. The policy with the highest payoff concerning an overarching goal is chosen. Specifically, comprehensive rationality assumes states are fully informed of payoffs. In contrast, bounded rationality believes states may not be fully informed of payoffs and may be influenced by historical…

Besides his famous trinities describing the nature of war, Clausewitz introduced the concept of the “centre of gravity.” Initially referring to the point where the enemy’s forces were concentrated, Clausewitz later revised the concept. In its later iteration, “centre of gravity” refers to the source of the enemy’s power, that being its population and morale.

The Prussian general and military strategist Carl von Clausewitz described war as a trinity of passion, chance, and reason. Passion resembles intrinsic hatred and is often associated with the population. Reason is likely attributed to the government. Clausewitz affiliated chance with the military.