how can international intervention alter the course of civil wars

the mere possibility of intervention can alter the course of a war as belligerent powers alter their strategies to either encourage or dissuade potential interveners. These effects of military intervention are found in both civil and interstate wars.

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How does foreign intervention affect the course of civil wars?

The dramatic influence of foreign intervention on the course of civil wars has been well documented. In part, this can be explained by the majority of interventions having taken the form of providing assistance to one side in the conflict.

Is there an international legal order for intervention in civil wars?

Dramatic events such as these challenge the very foundations of the traditional international legal order governing foreign intervention in civil wars. Anne Orford, Michael D Kirby Professor of International Law at Melbourne Law School. Picture: Paul Burston

Is humanitarian intervention in a civil war unlawful?

“The Court said that providing humanitarian assistance during a civil war was not unlawful intervention as long as it was non-discriminatory,” says Professor Orford. “But that providing humanitarian assistance to just one side in a civil war would breach the principle of non-intervention.”

What was foreign intervention in the Angolan Civil War?

Foreign intervention in the Angolan Civil War was complicated, contradictory and, at times, convoluted. 26 Although the belligerents had received assistance in their struggle against Portugal, the announcement of Angola's pending independence represented a turning point in the pattern of intervention in Angola.

How can international intervention alter the course?

How can international intervention alter the course of civil wars? Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) can help to promote peace among states that possess nuclear weapons by raising the costs of starting a war to unacceptable levels.

How can civil wars influence world politics?

Finally, civil wars are often closely linked to interstate war. Poor relations between states may motivate governments to support insurgencies in rival countries, and civil wars may in turn promote military conflict between states—for example, as a result of border violations or alleged support for insurgents.

Which of the following was discussed as a source of the commitment problem in war group of answer choices?

One of the principal sources of a commitment problem is a rapid and large shift in the distribution of military or political power between two contending sides. Basically one side will agree to peace until they are strong enough to fight back.

Why do civil wars end?

Most civil wars end in decisive military victories not negotiated settlements. Governments have won about 40 percent of the time, rebels about 30 percent of the time depending on which dataset you use. The remaining wars tend to end in negotiated settlements.

Did foreign intervention have a great impact on the outcome of the Civil War?

The foreign aid to the Confederacy had an enormous impact on the American Civil War. Although European powers chose to remain neutral in the American Civil War, they still managed to supply the Southern states with supplies.

What are the effects of international conflicts?

Armed conflict often leads to forced migration, long-term refugee problems, and the destruction of infrastructure. Social, political, and economic institutions can be permanently damaged. The consequences of war, especially civil war, for development are profound.

What are the causes of international war?

War is caused by many different things, including competition over land, religious conflicts, and nationalism. Imperialism, racism, and slavery have also been causes of armed conflict.

What are the causes of international conflict?

International Conflict Behavior (as defined in Table 4.4) is caused by:opposing interests and capabilities (specific sociocultural differences and similarities between the parties),contact and salience (awareness),significant change in the balance of powers,individual perceptions and expectations,More items...

What are some of the factors that activate commitment problems and civil war within states?

What are some of the factors that activate commitment problems and civil war within states? Commitment problems and civil war often activated by shifts in military distribution and power (more powerful state might demand concessions in the future/agreement not self-enforcing).

Why is a civil war different from an international war?

Civil wars are generally less severe than interstate wars, as measured in direct battle deaths. However, civil wars have been more frequent and lengthier, and the great majority of the recorded deaths in battle since the Cold War stem from civil wars.

What are the main reasons for civil wars?

For nearly a century, the people and politicians of the Northern and Southern states had been clashing over the issues that finally led to war: economic interests, cultural values, the power of the federal government to control the states, and, most importantly, slavery in American society.

Why do civil wars occur?

A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.

How does foreign intervention affect civil war?

As already mentioned, foreign intervention refers to the transfer of resources from an external power to either the incumbent or an insurgent actor . The balance of military capabilities refers to the distribution of the belligerents' collective military capabilities. Finally, warfare refers to the confluence of the belligerents' respective strategies. That is, warfare is the function of two or more strategies. These definitions will be expanded upon below.

How does foreign assistance affect the dynamics of a civil war?

This article explains how foreign assistance to one or both sides in a civil war influences the dynamics of the conflict. It submits that external assistance has the potential of affecting the military capabilities available to the belligerents. It then argues that the balance of those capabilities impacts significantly on whether the warfare in a civil war assumes a conventional, guerrilla or irregular form. These theoretical assertions are tested against the case of the Angolan Civil War. It is shown that during that war, variations in the form of warfare correlated closely to the type, degree, and direction of foreign intervention given to each of the belligerents.

What was the situation in Angola in 1975?

By August, the MPLA had cemented its control over the capital city and emerged as the largest and most militarily capable belligerent in the country . The FNLA, meanwhile, had concentrated its forces to the north of Luanda and UNITA's forces were still scattered in pockets across central and southern Angola. The FNLA and UNITA had also entered into an uneasy ‘alliance’.#N#Footnote#N#54 Throughout 1975, all the foreign powers gradually increased their respective commitments in the civil war. However, late October and early November represented a clear qualitative and quantitative divide in the pattern of foreign intervention in Angola. Until this point, the exogenous resources received by the belligerents had principally been in the form of military equipment. From late October, however, Cuban, Zairian and South African troops began to appear inside Angola in support of their respective allies.

What was the main goal of the MPLA during the civil war?

During Phase I, the principal offensive aim of the MPLA and the FNLA was to eradicate the influence of their rivals in the capital. Underlining this aim was the belief that the party that controlled the capital at the time of formal independence would be in a strong position to claim sovereignty over all Angola. To this end, the belligerents employed similar violent methods in their attempts to seize power. The fighting in Luanda was disorganised, opportunistic and brutal. The respective belligerents distributed rifles and grenades freely among their supporters – including to teenage boys – which resulted in running street battles between the rival sides.#N#Footnote#N#44 During these early days of the civil war, a common method of attack involved carloads of gunmen speeding past opponents and spraying them with bullets and throwing grenades.#N#Footnote#N#45 As the violence intensified, the MPLA began to gain the upper hand over its competitors. By the end of April 1975 the momentum was with the MPLA as the impact of the Soviet weapons deliveries the previous month and the recruitment of 3,500–6,000 experienced Katangese gendarmerie swung the street fighting in its favour.#N#Footnote#N#46 The fighting between the militias continued in Luanda until 20 July 1975, when the FNLA was forced to withdraw from the capital city. It then regrouped, about 150 kilometres north, in Ambriz, where it immediately began military preparations to return to Luanda before Independence Day and claim power.#N#Footnote#N#47

How did the small size and limited capabilities of the belligerents influence the Angolan Civil War?

At the outbreak of the civil war, the small size and limited capabilities of the belligerents encouraged foreign powers to intervene in the Angolan Civil War. That is, foreign powers could ‘get in the game’ at relatively low cost. Once involved, however, Moscow, Havana, Washington and Pretoria found that they were collectively obliged to continually escalate their respective interventions in response to each other's actions. The overall effect was that by November 1975, vast quantities of exogenous resources were flowing to the belligerents, radically altering the pattern of foreign intervention in the civil war.

What was the pattern of foreign intervention in the 1970s?

During the second quarter of 1975, however, the pattern of foreign intervention underwent a dramatic change, with all sides gaining increased quantities of sophisticated foreign weaponry, finance and troops. This change catalysed the advent of a second distinct phase in the pattern of foreign sponsorship from November 1975 to January 1976. Finally, in late January 1976, the pattern of foreign intervention changed for a third time. In Phase III the FNLA and UNITA lost their foreign sponsors, while the MPLA consolidated its position with the continuation of significant volumes of foreign assistance.

What was the dominant mode of warfare in the civil war?

In 1976, guerrilla warfare emerged as the dominant mode through which the civil war was fought.#N#Footnote#N#96 Unlike previous evolutions in warfare, however, where the belligerents' style of warfare had changed in similar ways, this time their tactics evolved differently. On the one hand, the MPLA attempted to hunt down the remaining UNITA fighters by conducting large, multi-brigade, conventional sweeps through central and southern Angola. On the other hand, UNITA attempted to avoid contact with the MPLA's forces while striking at its economic base. In other words, the warfare had evolved into a classic guerrilla pattern.

Where have the entrenched regimes been toppled?

Entrenched regimes have been toppled throughout North Africa and the Middle East. Refugees from civil wars in Syria and Iraq are seeking shelter in neighbouring countries. Russia is flexing its muscles in Ukraine and beyond.

Where are refugees from civil wars?

Refugees from civil wars in Syria and Iraq are seeking shelter in neighbouring countries. Russia is flexing its muscles in Ukraine and beyond. Now, the emergence of ISIS seems set to redraw existing borders and, in the process, set the world’s teeth on edge.

Which countries have exacerbated civil wars?

In the current international political landscape, where foreign actors can be seen to have exacerbated civil wars being waged in countries such as Iraq, Syria, and the Ukraine, the question of legitimate iternvention is of intense and immediate concern to policy makers, academics, parliamentarians and the general public.

Is humanitarian aid unlawful?

The ICJ also addressed the question of humanitarian assistance. “The Court said that providing humanitarian assistance during a civil war was not unlawful intervention as long as it was non-discriminatory,” says Professor Orford. “But that providing humanitarian assistance to just one side in a civil war would breach the principle ...