Ending War and the Definition of Defeat essays

Ending War and the Definition of Defeat essays Contrary to what is often accepted as fact, there are a variety of reasons why a war comes to an end. Most obviously, wars will end when one side is defeated, but what of those cases where the outcome is in doubt and what exactly constitutes defeat? The definition of defeat is obvious enough: one side loses the will and capability to continue fighting, forcing it to accept whatever terms are imposed on it by the other. Defeat can happen in the course of achieving military objectives and it can in fact be the military objective. When it is, ending hostilities is far less complicated the victor simply dictates terms. However, what happens in those cases where outright defeat is not the military objective how does a State find peace under these conditions? The answer is fairly straightforward in principle if not practice. Peace can be attained only when both sides see the gains reasonably expected through continued fighting do not outweigh the gains expected through negotiation and th at the costs of continued conflict are unacceptably higher than those of peace. This is true whether or not military objectives are attained and even if military objectives are the defeat of the enemy. Two examples of how these principles work can be found in the Iraq War Case and in the Pacific Theater of World War II; specifically in the Japanese planning for it. In the war in Iraq, the United States achieved military victory quite quickly and in effect, dictated terms to the defeated Iraqi nation. However, failure to secure the population led to a window of opportunity for citizens unhappy with the new order to attempt to overthrow or change it. It is impossible to know if the original intent of the insurgents was to shape the future government in a way favorable to their sect or tribe, or if the intent was outright victory. We can assume that both may be true, depending on which group you speak of, and that for others objec...