War is at the core of international politics. John Mearsheimer
Along with trade and Diplomacy and war are two of the oldest and most common elements of international relations. In this study, we are going to get an insightful discussion of how war fits into the study of international relations and how it affects global politics and societies.
Wars and conflicts are not new in the international arena; rather, they have a long history that has been based on diverse aims and goals for power struggle, security, and national interests. Even before the establishment of city states, there had been conflict among the different tribes. The relations and interdependence among those tribes had been affected and shaped by these conflicts. In today’s world, the discourse of war and conflict has totally changed because the world has become a global village and every small and large state depends on and is interconnected with other states. No single state can live and serve on its own.
War is the dominant feature in international politics. It really matters enormously. It matters, for instance, in terms of influencing how the leaders of the states think and how states interact with each other. Here we are not only referring to the interactions between the states that are directly involved in the conflict but also those that are indirectly involved in the conflict, or at least they have some sort of relationship with the parties directly involved in the conflict. It means that war connects the politics of the combating groups or societies.
There is no high authority in the international system to protect the people or the states. So, the fundamental disagreements among the states or societies persist all the time. It means that the possibility of war persists all the time as long as the fundamental disagreements among the states persist. And this is the reason that international politics is a dynamic process because of the persistent possibility of war among the states.
Although war is the rational decision of the state leaders to achieve their goals and national interests, remember that once you get into a war or conflict, the war subordinates the conduct of international politics and political considerations of the states, which the states can use to effectively interact with each other. Hence, once war is started, it drives the politics and relations of a state towards other states.
War has a profound effect on the structure, practices, and organization of political authority.
We have many examples from history where the international community has routinely used war to secure the existing system of state international political structure.
It means that we can argue that war has been and is the fundamental object of authoritative control in international relations and international politics.
War and dynamic alterations in world politics introduce us to a new theoretical insight—a conceptual framework through which we can see and understand international relations in contemporary times.
Let us take the example of World War I, where the outbreak of war changed political relations among the states like the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and its colonies, France, and Japan. Although many cultural, ideological, religious, and political differences existed among them, after the war started, they became united against the central powers for their security and interests.
Similarly, the Cold War (1948–1991) between the United States and Russia, who were on the same side during World War II, created a bipolar world in which all other states either joined the Soviet bloc or the US bloc, politically, economically, strategically, and socially. There were close political and social relations among the allies of the bloc. This Cold War also resulted in the establishment of strategic coalitions like NATO, which includes the United States and most of the European states, and the Warsaw Pact, which was dissolved in 1991 but consisted of the Soviet Union and its allies.
In contemporary times, we can elaborate on our statement by looking at the Israel-Palestine conflict, which has very broader impacts on international politics and international relations. It not only affected the countries involved in the conflict but also the whole Middle East and the world’s major powers like China, Russia, the USA, and European states. Russia, China, and other countries in support of Palestine and international law demanded an immediate ceasefire. On the other hand, the US provided political and military support to Israel. But now, as the conflict has escalated, the US urged Israel not to provide support to Israel anymore. He warned Israel to stop the war and not attack any further territories. It has also profoundly changed the geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East. On the one hand, Saudi Arabia and the UAE demand the de-escalation of the conflict. On the other hand, Iran has launched attacks on Israel. So this has fueled the already-tense political relations between Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
This study showed us how, in various parts of the world, at different moments in history, war has shaped and, in contemporary times, is shaping world politics and relations among the states. War is an unpredictable, creative, very violent, and sometimes unavoidable force in world politics. The key argument is that a war or conflict shapes international politics and interactions among the states according to changing world dynamics. Although war is the extension of politics by other means, according to Clausewitz’s argument, But once war is started, it tends to escalate to an absolute level. And at that point, it then drives the politics and relations among the states. It must also be noted here that politics, in turn, can limit and end the war.
The writer is a student of International Relations at International Islamic University Islamabad and a member of PYDIR.