Main Ideas of War - Reagan Humanities

Chapter 1
Main Ideas About
War (7)
Warfare is…
…armed conflict involving different states
(governments).
Wars upset a balance of power.
War has a purpose.
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Offensive = war of aggression
Defensive = protect yourself
Punitive = war of revenge
Ideological = religious war
Imperial/Colonial = take land
Liberation = gain freedom
Proxy = fought by one government for another
government
• Pre-emptive = attack because you think you’re
going to be attacked
War has a cause.
• Long-term causes = over many years
• Short-term causes = recent things
• Immediate cause = shortest term cause
War deals with relationships (or diplomacy)
• Usually a failure of diplomacy
Wars are fought in different ways.
• Regular armies
• Guerrilla war = forces in hiding
• Irregular war = fought by small different
groups of people
• Wars of movement = move troops to gain
advantage
• Limited war = small place & few weapons
• Total war = fought to destroy the enemy, with
no limitations
Wars have an end