Theories of War
According to this theory, wars may arise due to economic factors, such as competition over resources or class struggles.
What is Marxist Theory?
This doctrine, articulated by President Truman in 1947, aimed to contain the spread of communism by providing political, military, and economic assistance to countries resisting Soviet influence.
What is the Truman Doctrine?
This war, marked by significant urban combat and a controversial Russian military strategy, concluded in 1996 with a peace treaty and the establishment of a de facto Chechen state.
What is the First Chechen War?
Following Russia’s annexation of this strategic region in 2014, international condemnation led to sanctions, while Ukraine and most of the international community declared the move illegal under international law.
What is Crimea?
This Russian leader consolidated power in the early 2000s, centralizing authority and weakening the influence of oligarchs, while shaping Russia’s domestic and foreign policies for over two decades.
Who is Vladimir Putin?
In 2021, the United States formally ended its military presence in this country after two decades of intervention, resulting in significant geopolitical and humanitarian consequences.
What is Afghanistan?
This theory suggests that differences in regime types, specifically democracies versus autocracies, influence the likelihood of war.
What is the Democratic Peace Theory?
This agreement, signed in 1994, established a trilateral trade bloc between the United States, Canada, and Mexico, aimed at increasing trade and economic cooperation.
What is NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)?
Russia’s military intervention in this 2008 conflict asserted control over two breakaway regions, marking a turning point in Russian foreign policy toward its “near abroad.”
What is the Russo-Georgian War?
This term, often associated with Russia’s approach to the Ukraine conflict, describes tactics that involve deception, propaganda, cyber attacks, and covert operations to destabilize adversaries without direct military confrontation.
What is hybrid warfare?
This political structure, characterized by centralized power under a strong leader with limited opposition, has been used to describe Russia’s governance under Putin, where democratic elements are controlled or symbolic.
What is managed democracy or soft authoritarianism?
This policy approach, pursued by President Trump, focused on renegotiating trade deals, emphasizing American industry, and taking a more unilateral stance, encapsulated by the slogan “America First.”
What is America First or Trump's America First policy?
Realists argue that this concept, the lack of a central governing authority in international relations, drives states to act in their own self-interest.
What is anarchy?
This concept, which gained prominence during the Cold War, involves the use of diplomacy and military force to deter an adversary from taking aggressive action, based on the threat of significant retaliation.
What is deterrence?
Russia’s intervention in this Middle Eastern civil war demonstrated its commitment to maintaining influence in the region, backing its strategic ally through extensive military support.
What is the Syrian Civil War?
This 2014 agreement, named after a Belarusian capital, sought to establish a ceasefire and withdrawal of heavy weapons in eastern Ukraine but ultimately failed to produce lasting peace.
What is the Minsk Protocol or Minsk Agreement?
This law, passed in 2012, requires non-governmental organizations (NGOs) receiving foreign funding and engaged in political activities to register as this, effectively curtailing their influence.
What is foreign agents or the foreign agents law?
This foreign policy strategy, outlined by President George W. Bush, emphasized preemptive strikes to prevent perceived threats before they materialized and was a driving principle behind the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
What is the Bush Doctrine?
This form of realism argues that the anarchic nature of the international system leads states to prioritize their security above all else.
What is Defensive Realism?
This significant 1972 agreement between the U.S. and the Soviet Union aimed to limit the deployment of ballistic missiles and laid the groundwork for future arms control negotiations.
What is the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM Treaty)?
Following years of instability, this Second Chechen War concluded with the imposition of Moscow-aligned leadership under this family dynasty, leading to a consolidation of control over the republic.
Who are the Kadyrovs?
A cornerstone of the Russian government’s justification for the 2022 invasion involved claims about protecting this minority population, concentrated in eastern Ukraine, which Moscow argues faced discrimination.
Who are Russian-speaking Ukrainians?
Known for his outspoken opposition to the Kremlin, this Russian politician and anti-corruption activist has faced imprisonment, poisoning, and legal charges widely seen as politically motivated.
Who is Alexei Navalny?
Under President Obama, the United States pursued this diplomatic and strategic shift toward strengthening ties with Asia, aiming to counterbalance China’s growing influence in the region.
What is the Pivot to Asia or Asia Rebalance?
According to the diversionary theory, leaders facing low approval ratings may use war to boost their popularity through this effect.
What is the rally 'round the flag effect?
This U.N. resolution, passed in 2005, is often cited for establishing the principle of the "Responsibility to Protect," which asserts that the international community must intervene to prevent genocide and mass atrocities.
What is UN Resolution 1674?
The ongoing conflict in this eastern Ukrainian region began in 2014, with Russia supporting separatist movements as part of a broader strategy to challenge Ukraine’s Western alignment.
What is the Donbas?
In response to Russia’s 2022 invasion, NATO has employed these measures, which include intelligence sharing, arms shipments, and support for neighboring countries, without engaging directly in combat operations.
What are non-combat support measures or indirect support measures?
This state-owned media organization, widely regarded as a mouthpiece for the Kremlin, plays a significant role in shaping public opinion domestically and internationally.
What is RT (Russia Today)?
This 2001 congressional authorization allowed the U.S. president to use all “necessary and appropriate force” against those responsible for the 9/11 attacks, leading to military interventions in Afghanistan and beyond.
What is the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF)?
This term describes the strategy of creating or exaggerating foreign threats to distract citizens from internal challenges.
What is scapegoating?
This agreement, signed in 2015, involved the P5+1 nations and Iran, aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief, but has faced significant criticism and withdrawal threats from the U.S.
What is the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)?
After deadly terrorist attacks in Russia linked to separatists, this covert military strategy employed unconventional tactics to neutralize insurgents in Chechnya. Its brutal execution secured Russian control but drew widespread human rights condemnation.
What is the Chechen counterinsurgency campaign (or counter-terrorist operation in Chechnya)?
Since 2022, Russia has been accused of committing war crimes and violating this set of international laws governing the treatment of civilians and conduct in warfare, which has led to calls for accountability from the International Criminal Court.
What are the Geneva Conventions?
This policy shift, initiated by Putin in the early 2000s, involved the removal of independent governors and the appointment of regional heads by the central government, significantly curtailing regional autonomy.
What is centralized federalism or the centralization of regional governance?
This concept, developed by political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, describes a clash of cultural and religious identities as a source of conflict in the post-Cold War world, particularly between the West and Islamic civilizations.
What is the "Clash of Civilizations"?