The Uses of Forces : International Relations

Political Use of Force:

The use of force represents partial failure of policy. The exception is the case in which fighting is valued for its own sake – when it is believed that war brings heroic values and purifies individuals and cultures, or when fighting is seen as entertainment.

Because of the high cost of violence, the use of force is tempered by restraints and bargaining. Only when everything is good for one side is bad for the other do the opponents gains nothing by bargaining. In most case, certain outcomes are clearly bad for both sides; therefore, even though they are at war, each side shares an interest in avoiding them

There are three factors largely account for increasing destructiveness of the wars of the last two centuries. First, the steady technological improvement in weaponry. Second, the growth in the capacity, and thus the need, of states to field ever larger number f of forces. Third, the gradual democratization of war: the expansion of the battlefield and hence the indiscriminate mass killing of non-combatants.

The Four Functions of Force

1. DEFENSIVE – the deployment of military power so as to be able to do two things: to ward off n attack and to minimize damage to oneself if attacked. It involves both peaceful and physical employment and both repellent strikes and offensive strikes.

Purposes:

• A state will direct its forces against those of a potential or actual attacker, but not against his unarmed population.

• A state can deploy its forces in place prior to an attack, use them after an attack has occurred to repel it, or strike first if it believes that an attack upon it is imminent or inevitable.

PREEMPTIVE BLOW         PREVENTIVE BLOW

WHEN TO ATTACK  

• a state strikes first when it believes on attack upon it is imminent

• strikes first when it believes an attack is inevitable but not momentary

CAUSE OF ATTACK

• Preempts in order to wrest the advantage of the first strike from an opponent

• A state launches preventive attack because it believes that the others will attack it when the balance of forces turns into their favour and therefore attacks while the balance of forces is in its favor.

CALCULATION OF THE OPPONENT'S ATTACK

• A matter of hours, days , or even a few weeks at the most

• Has almost no control over the timing of its attack

• A matter of months or even a few years

• The state can in a more leisurely way contemplate the timing of its attack

• Both cases, it is the belief in the certainty of war that governs the offensive, defensive attack and the maxim, ''the best defense is a good defense'', makes a good sense.

2. DETERRENT – deployment of military powers so as able to prevent an adversary from something that one does not want him to do and that he might otherwise be tempted to do by threatening him with unacceptable punishment if he does. Dissuades by convincing the adversary that his population and territory will suffer terrible damage if he initiates the undesirable action. Deterrence dissuades by presenting the certainty of retaliatory devastation. Deterrence is the threat of retaliation hence can be judged successful only if the retaliatory threats have not been implemented. It employs force peacefully. Achievement is the most difficult to demonstrate and generally the next priority over defense.

• Deterrent Threat – made precisely with the intent that it will not have to be carried out. Made to prevent actions from being undertaken.

Dependent Factors of defense and deterrence:

• The quantitative balance of forces between its adversary

• The qualitative balance of forces , that is, whether the extant military technology favors  the offense or defense

3. COMPELLENT – is the deployment of military power so as to be able either to stop an adversary from doing something that he has already undertaken or to get him do something that he has not yet undertaken.  Compellence can employ force either physically of peacefully.  According to Schelling's word, ''compellence involves initiating an action..that can cease, or become harmless, only f the opponent responds''. It  may be easier to demonstrate but harder to achieve. The success of compellent action is measured by how closely and quickly the adversary conforms to one's stipulated wishes.

4. SWAGGERING – in part of residual category, the deployment of military power for purposes other than defense, deterrence , or compellence. Most egoistic for it aims to enhance the national pride of a people or to satisfy the personal ambition of the ruler. Swaggering mixes the rational and irrational more than the other three functions of military power and remains both pervasive in international relations and elusive to describe. It involves only peaceful use of force and expressed usually in one of two ways:

• Displaying one's military might at military exercises and national demonstrations

• Buying or building the era's most prestigious weapons

Purpose of Swaggering:

A state or statesman swaggers in order to:

·         Look and feel more powerful and important

·         To be taken seriously by others in councils of international decision making

·         To enhance the nation's image in the eyes of others

Swaggering is pursued not only with the reasons stated above but because:

·         It offers to bring prestige ''on the cheap''

·         Of the fundamental yearning of states and statesmen for respect and prestige

This is our own report,outlined and drafted by me from the reading materials distributed on us.