Post Cold War Conflicts

• Gulf War -> 1990
• The Yugoslavian Wars -> 1991-1995
• Somalia and Battle of Mogadishu -> 1993
• Rwandan Genocide -> 1994
• Afghanistan -> 2001-2021
• Iraq War -> 2003
• Syria -> 2011
• Libyan Civil War -> 2011
• Russian actions against Ukraine: Russian annexation of Crimea -> 2014
• Russian actions against Ukraine: Russian invasion of Ukraine -> 2022
• First Gulf War -> 1990 - 1991

  • Highlights the initial ‘unity’ post end of Cold War - UN can now be effective as Russia not using veto
  • However also shows UN sanctioning use of hard power
  • US in position as hegemon - leading coalition to to expel Hussein - keeps to UN mandate in actions
• Somalia - 1992

  • Failure of UN peacekeeping mission
  • Impacted on US’ willingness to intervene in Rwanda?
  • Example of failed intervention
• Rwanda

  • Indicative of post cold war conflicts - civil war/ethnic divisions Failure of UN peacekeeping
  • Failure of UNSC - shows impact if US lacks willingness to intervene
  • Shaped the thinking behind the iciss report of 2002 that led to r2p
• Yugoslavia:

  • Bosnian War and Srebrenica
  • Failure of UN peacekeeping in Srebrenica
  • NATO effectively brought Serbs to negotiating table - use of hard power - sanctioned by UN resolution
  • NATO is also an example of humanitarian intervention
• The UN learned from these catastrophes - 1992 UN Agenda for Peace Report - 2005 UN Peacekeeping mission established - greater emphasis on peace building
• Kosovo

  • NATO success - hard power - in stopping Milosevic (No UN mandate this time)
  • NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo - example of NATO extending its role
  • Led to UN tribunals to try war crimes
• Sierrra Leonne

  • Successful example of humanitarian intervention (2000) by Britain
  • Also successful example of UN peacekeeping mission
• Afghanistan

  • Hard power to achieve ends - US acting mainly on own initially
  • Not authorised by a specific UN resolution
  • But ultimate withdrawal and return of Taliban shows ineffectiveness of hard power and folly of intervention
  • 2003 NATO took over the command of the international Security ASsistance Force in
  • Afghanistan - first mission outside of North Atlantic area - drew NATO more into the ‘war on Terror’
• Iraq War - 2003

  • Highlights ineffectiveness of UN - supports realist theory re states acting in own interest
  • Height of US hegemony - led by neo-cons believing that can impose US style democracy via regime change - with hard power.
  • Results damaged US soft power - Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo - decline of US as hegemon starting?
  • US ignored international law - realism
  • Example of failed intervention
• Arab Spring

  • Triumph of liberalism- initially
  • Backlash against cultural glob
  • Also how tools of globalisation allow communication across borders - Facebook
  • Fukuyama was wrong
• Syria

  • Highlights ineffectiveness of UNSC
  • US no longer hegemon - Russia stepping into US vacuum
  • Reluctance to deploy r2p post libya
• Libya

  • E.g. of humanitarian intervention - first intervention tied to ‘R2P’+ makes the case against intervention as a now failed state
  • US led coalition launched air and missile strikes against Libya forces.
  • Authorisation by UNSC for creation of safe zones for civilians- backed by Arab League (though NATO also took military action against government of Gaddafi)
  • NATO took over responsibility for policing the no-fly zone
• Myanmar – Rohingyas

  • No r2p - realism
  • Limits of inter law - icj ruling ignored
• China and Uighars

  • Limits of international law and courts
• Yemen

  • Realism eg uk supplying weapons to saudi
  • Powerful countries can act without fear of intervention
• Russia invasion of Ukraine 2014 and 2023

  • Security dilemma
  • US reasserting position as a hegemon - acting as world policeman
  • Shows need for NATO - also shows how expansion of NATO post 1990s has caused resentment in Russia
  • Importance of international law - Russia violated state sovereignty
  • EU response - collective action = liberalism
• Taiwan China

  • Sign of ascendancy of hard power - realism
  • Sign of china’s growing strength and power - multipolar world