Can war be just?

A Just War Analysis of the Russo-Georgian War 2008

Term Paper (Advanced seminar) , 2009 , 25 Pages

Politics - Topic: Public International Law and Human Rights

The question of whether war can be justified is not in any way provided with neither a simple nor easy answer. As much as one would not like to admit it, it is nevertheless only in an idealised world, in a More’s utopia, that we can be certain that no war nor armed conflict will ever happen. In the meantime, wars continue to be fought and justified with reference to certain moral and legal values that may or may not make them legitimate in the context of the Westphalian State System upon which the current international society is based.In the following paper I will examine the question of whether war can be just through a case analysis of the conflict that took place between Russia and Georgia from the 7th – 16th of August 2008, also known as the Russo-Georgian War, the August War or simply the 2008 South Ossetia War

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• Can War be Just?
• Structure
• Justifying War
• Jus ad Bellum criteria
• Jus in Bello criteria
• The Case of the Russo-Georgian War 2008
• The Georgian Perspective
• The Russian Perspective
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This paper examines the question of whether war can be just through a case analysis of the Russo-Georgian War of 2008. It explores the theoretical foundations of the Just War tradition, including the criteria of Jus ad Bellum and Jus in Bello, and applies these criteria to the conflict in question.

• The theoretical foundations of the Just War tradition
• The criteria of Jus ad Bellum and Jus in Bello
• The application of these criteria to the Russo-Georgian War of 2008
• The perspectives of both Russia and Georgia on the conflict
• The implications of the conflict for the Just War tradition

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The paper begins by outlining the theoretical foundations of the Just War tradition, tracing its historical development and highlighting the key criteria of Jus ad Bellum and Jus in Bello. It then delves into the case analysis of the Russo-Georgian War of 2008, examining the actions of both Russia and Georgia in light of the Just War criteria. The paper explores the Georgian perspective on the conflict, highlighting their claims of Russian aggression and their justifications for their actions. It then examines the Russian perspective, exploring their justifications for their intervention in South Ossetia and their claims of Georgian aggression. The paper concludes by reflecting on the implications of the conflict for the Just War tradition, considering whether the criteria of Just War can adequately address the complexities of modern warfare.

Schlüsselwörter

The keywords and focus themes of the text include the Just War tradition, Jus ad Bellum, Jus in Bello, the Russo-Georgian War of 2008, international law, sovereignty, self-defense, humanitarian intervention, and the ethics of war.

• College: University of Manchester (Political Theory)
• Author: Soren Andersen (Author)
• Publication Year: 2009
• Pages: 25
• Catalog Number: V146961
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640578320
• ISBN (Book): 9783640578641
• Language: English
• Tags: ethics, international relations, world, politics, global, russia, georgia, georgian, war, conflict, 2008, abkhazia, south ossetia, jus in bello, jus ad bellum, just war, aquinas, friedman, glover, rights, lomborg, kant, medvedev, medveded, putin, nato, osce, un, united nations, walzer