For each people in this world, war is not something desirable and expectable. This is certainly due to the many victims that will fall. Whether it is from civil society or environments. The economical ruin and the degradation of human nature will be the other concerned in the matter of the outcomes of war. But the other side, in the anarchy international system, war is also the path to emerge peace and determine in the how the nation will survive.[1]
In order to have more understanding about what war is, better to see the definition of war itself. From Von Clausewitz, he define that war is a large scale duel. War is a way to compel the enemy to do what we want. War is a use of physical forces to make the opponent incapable in the future[2]. So that, as a common, war is a way to make the opponent will do what we order to do by the use of force. The aim is for getting something or to defend something. It can be sovereignty, territory, or maybe natural resources.
In the Cold War era, war is rather different in its implementation. At that time, the definition of war could be a proxy war, nuclear war, spy war, or ideological war. Cold war is the term to describe the international relation that developed primarily by the existence of two major power US and USSR after the World War II era.[3] There are a lot of things happened during this period of time. The definition of war in the cold war era was not only bordered by the use of physical force though it still happen like in Korean War or Vietnam War called Proxy War. The other dimension of war emerged. Both of US and USSR who never fought before came to fight each other for their beliefs. US with its liberal ideology and USSR with communism. It is what the international community called as an ideological war. This ideological war entailed the occurance of other dimension of war. The Spy War, and the most concern and worrying issue of the growth of mass destruction weapon called nuclear which was caused the Nuclear War in Cuba was the other definition of war in the Cold War era.
After the cold war, US was become the single major power. The definition of war comes to the other different. The soft political issues such as environment, economy or natural resources was being more concerned than ideological matters. In that so, the aim of war also changing. Literally, when we define the definition of war is still the same as its common definition as a use of force to compel others in certain aim. But practically, the cause of war itself is more develop. Some geopolitics experts said that the world concern is now in geo-economy aspect such an oil that define as natural resources. So that when we try to define what war is in the era of post cold war, we define natural resources as a main cause of war. For example the tension in middle east between US and Iraq in the matter of searching mass destructing weapon and later occupied the oil field in middle east. The other is the tension in Spratly Islands in Asia by China, Filipina, and other state in a claim of Spratly ownership that later known that the islands consist of rich natural resources such as oil and gas. Beside the geo-economy matters, the definition of war after cold war is never going out from the terrorism. Start in 2001 by the Bush’s Doctrine, world become more concern in the war against terrorism (WoT).
When we ask about whether war is the end of the beginning of conflicts, here I try to use two IR perspective to explain this matter. As what realist says, war is the way to achieve peace. Since the Peloponesian War, we could see long conflicts could happened without a resolution because of war is never happen[4]. When the USSR lost from US in Cold War, there were many conflicts stopped. There is not anymore nuclear competition, not anymore Berlin Wall, and Proxy War. So that in a view of realist, when there is an open war emerge and one of the actor lose, means the conflicts is over. But when there is no war or a war without any side lose, the conflicts will still open wide such as in Korea Peninsula. In a contrast, liberalist see that war is the way to emerge a new conflicts, the conflicts will only end when the actors have a willing to take a sit together and have some dialogs or make other interaction that can be seen as a cooperation.
[1] From S.Tzu in his book titled The Art of War. pp.1. 2001.
[2] More explanation about this definition can be seen in V.C.Clausewitz’s “On War” pp.13
[3] Definition from www.historylearningsite.co.uk.
[4] Dari Levy S, Jack, 2002, Peace and War, dalam Carlnaes, W, Risse, T, & Simmons A, Handbook of Internasional Relations, Sage Publications, London.
In order to have more understanding about what war is, better to see the definition of war itself. From Von Clausewitz, he define that war is a large scale duel. War is a way to compel the enemy to do what we want. War is a use of physical forces to make the opponent incapable in the future[2]. So that, as a common, war is a way to make the opponent will do what we order to do by the use of force. The aim is for getting something or to defend something. It can be sovereignty, territory, or maybe natural resources.
In the Cold War era, war is rather different in its implementation. At that time, the definition of war could be a proxy war, nuclear war, spy war, or ideological war. Cold war is the term to describe the international relation that developed primarily by the existence of two major power US and USSR after the World War II era.[3] There are a lot of things happened during this period of time. The definition of war in the cold war era was not only bordered by the use of physical force though it still happen like in Korean War or Vietnam War called Proxy War. The other dimension of war emerged. Both of US and USSR who never fought before came to fight each other for their beliefs. US with its liberal ideology and USSR with communism. It is what the international community called as an ideological war. This ideological war entailed the occurance of other dimension of war. The Spy War, and the most concern and worrying issue of the growth of mass destruction weapon called nuclear which was caused the Nuclear War in Cuba was the other definition of war in the Cold War era.
After the cold war, US was become the single major power. The definition of war comes to the other different. The soft political issues such as environment, economy or natural resources was being more concerned than ideological matters. In that so, the aim of war also changing. Literally, when we define the definition of war is still the same as its common definition as a use of force to compel others in certain aim. But practically, the cause of war itself is more develop. Some geopolitics experts said that the world concern is now in geo-economy aspect such an oil that define as natural resources. So that when we try to define what war is in the era of post cold war, we define natural resources as a main cause of war. For example the tension in middle east between US and Iraq in the matter of searching mass destructing weapon and later occupied the oil field in middle east. The other is the tension in Spratly Islands in Asia by China, Filipina, and other state in a claim of Spratly ownership that later known that the islands consist of rich natural resources such as oil and gas. Beside the geo-economy matters, the definition of war after cold war is never going out from the terrorism. Start in 2001 by the Bush’s Doctrine, world become more concern in the war against terrorism (WoT).
When we ask about whether war is the end of the beginning of conflicts, here I try to use two IR perspective to explain this matter. As what realist says, war is the way to achieve peace. Since the Peloponesian War, we could see long conflicts could happened without a resolution because of war is never happen[4]. When the USSR lost from US in Cold War, there were many conflicts stopped. There is not anymore nuclear competition, not anymore Berlin Wall, and Proxy War. So that in a view of realist, when there is an open war emerge and one of the actor lose, means the conflicts is over. But when there is no war or a war without any side lose, the conflicts will still open wide such as in Korea Peninsula. In a contrast, liberalist see that war is the way to emerge a new conflicts, the conflicts will only end when the actors have a willing to take a sit together and have some dialogs or make other interaction that can be seen as a cooperation.
[1] From S.Tzu in his book titled The Art of War. pp.1. 2001.
[2] More explanation about this definition can be seen in V.C.Clausewitz’s “On War” pp.13
[3] Definition from www.historylearningsite.co.uk.
[4] Dari Levy S, Jack, 2002, Peace and War, dalam Carlnaes, W, Risse, T, & Simmons A, Handbook of Internasional Relations, Sage Publications, London.
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