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International Relations (IPL 320) Exam Notes
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- University Of Pretoria (UP)
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International RelationsIPL 320
EXAM NOTES
Study Themes 2-6, 8-9, and 11-13
Notes made by: Michelle
Fernandes
Disclaimer: Take note that the following International Relations Notes, IPL 320, is based on the
lecture recordings (which is coloured mainly black text), the textbook and the additional resource
(which is coloured in mainly blue text), and the class slides and tests, however, you should be
more research to expand beyond the notes.
1 Michelle Fernandes Notes
, AN INTRODUCTION TO STRATEGIC THINKERS AND CONCEPTS
THEME 2
DR. SONJA THERON
You will be introduced to some of the key theorists and concepts that are basic to the discipline of
Strategic Studies, and see how they have been opera;onalised in par;cular contexts. By the end of this
sec;on you should be able to:
• explain how the works and thinking of classical strategists has influenced the academic study of strategy
and security;
• reflect on the relevance of classical strategic thought today and the contribu;ons of non- Western
strategists to strategic theory;
• understand, apply and evaluate the concept of Grand Strategy; and
• understand and explain key strategic concepts and theories such as threat, threat percep;on and the
security dilemma.
Prescribed readings:
• Baylis, Wirtz & Gray 2019: Chapter 4 (‘Strategic Theory’)
• Baylis, Wirtz & Gray 2019: Chapter 18 (‘Geopoli;cs and Grand Strategy’)
• Cavelty & Balzacq 2016: pp. 31-32 (‘Realist theories’)
AddiAonal resources:
• Allen, Calvin. R. (Major), 2014. ‘Shaka Zulu’s linkage of strategy and tac;cs. An early form of opera;onal
art?’ A Monograph published by School of Advanced Military Studies, US Army Command and General
Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 1-49.
• Freedman, 2013: Chapter 7 (‘Clausewitz’)
• Freedman, 2013: Chapter 4 (‘Sun Tzu and Machiavelli’) Balzacq, Dombrowski & Reich, 2019.
What do we mean when we talk about strategic thought/thinking? [Baylis, Wirtz & Gray Reading:
Chapter 4]
• War is part of human nature and the result of it has been part of many decades [ancient china etc].
• Strategic thought is not only about war, it is also about peace - states are seen as always in compe;;on
with one another.
• Strategic thought is also seen as a ra;onal process, about seeing cost benefit analyse, compe;;ve
advantage, weighing one goals and benefits [how going to war can achieve objec;ves etc]. It is also seen
as an art more than science [because it does not have fixed rules on how to win a war - no fixed laws].
• No scholar/thinker had set rules. But, because war evolves/changes, it has changed since the 20th
century and every war is different by factors of geography, poli;cs, and more. These factors cannot
always be implemented in the same way, however, they are guiding principles that can be looked at, and
considered in different ways.
• Strategy is the use of force to achieve ones poli;cal agenda — strategy is the character and conduct of
war - how it is waged, by whom, and for what ends - that has changed over ;me.
• Strategic theory — provides conceptual framework of understanding war, offers a toolkit that is used to
analyse problems of war and peace.
• Clausewitz suggests that we study strategic theory in order to learn how to think strategically - as the
stakes in war are high.
2 Michelle Fernandes Notes
,• Logic of strategy — strategy is about how to win wars, and about making force usable for poli;cal
purposes - it is essen;al the link between poli;cal objec;ves and military force, between ends and
means.
Levels of warfare [all closely linked - types of objec;ves]:
1. Strategic - poli;cal objec;ves and the use of force = how and whether we must use force for objec;ves.
Iraq war - full invasion to get the threat to the USA.
2. Opera;onal - relates to the management of campaigns and how resources are disrupted, and how it is
used to deploy. Iraq war - how air power and ground power work together.
3. Tac;cal - individual engagement = refers to how troops fight in war/bamle and violent engagement [are
the using gorilla tac;cs, amack and flee etc].
These levels influence each other. The tac;cal area can be a strategic failure - good tac;cs can onen be
wasted. [Apartheid South Africa = what were the levels of warfare for the government? The government
might have the opera;onal and tac;cal level in terms of force, but the ANC held a strategic level due to
support and allies. How did the ANC translate their opera;onal and tac;cal level into successful
advantages?].
Key thinkers: [Baylis, Wirtz & Gray Reading: Chapter 4]
1. Carl von Clausewitz
- Carl von Clausewitz was one of the first thinkers to write down a comprehensive theory of war. His
unfinished book “On war” was an effort to build a theory of war and not a universal strategy. Famous
quote - “war is the conAnuaAon of poliAcs by other means”.
- Poli;cal success doesn’t guarantee military success. The cost of war is immense financially and
individually. He argues that war can be fought for limited or unlimited aims with par;al or total means.
- For Carl, the nature of what is complex and is determined by interac;ons by The Trinity, alliance. [War is
dynamic - changes. For example, ISIS emerged from the Iraq War].
- He promoted ra;onal thinking and calcula;on, that you need to correlate your aims and objec;ves, and
leaders are must less willing to sacrifice lives on small objec;ves [USA withdraw from Somalia].
- Carl states that you have to have plan.
- Carl views war in four different contexts:
(1) War is ul;mately about killing and dying,
(2) War is a contest between armies, generals, and states,
(3) War is an instrument of policy, and
(4) War is a social ac;vity.
- Key concepts:
• The Trinity - views war as a “paradoxical trinity composed of violence”, more so, he iden;fies three
components of war and society: people [passion], Government [ra;onality], and military [probability].
• Centre of Gravity - refers to the part of the enemy. If it falls, the whole enemy falls.
[Tradi;onal warfare = the army, capital city, key ally, leader, and public opinion = in this order only -
first destroy army etc].
• Limited vs unlimited wars - unlimited war is when the objec;ves of war are to eliminate the
enemy and force a surrender [Germany and WW2], and limited war is making smaller gains by hur;ng
the enemy, gesng terrority/land etc to get them to nego;ate and bargain with you [ANC and the
Apartheid government]. Neither is bemer than the order, both types are costly [invade a country and
win = you have to govern the country]. Limited is hard to end.
3 Michelle Fernandes Notes
, • Fric;on - a concept that refers to slowing down and weakening an army [drop in morale, in the
physical arm, forge of war - cannot read the content as happening quickly]. For example, German
soldiers struggled with Russia cold.
2. Sun Tzu
- He wrote a famous book called “the art of war” whereby he quoted “know the enemy and know
yourself, in a hundred ba\les you will never be imperil”.
- He never promoted knowledge and understanding. He sees war as a search for compe;;ve advantage.
- Sun Tzu promoted strategy without bloodshed, which is what he preferred. He is an intelligence op;mist
— claiming that the outcome of war can be known in advance if the leader makes a complete es;mate of
the situa;on.
- He believed that if you shamered the will to fight, you’ve shamered the enemy.
- He believed you should amack the enemy strategy and find the compara;ve advantage, whereas Carl
believed crushing the enemy forces.
- Key concepts:
• Compara;ve advantage - refers to advantage over you enemy. What are you bemer at, how do you
exploit it. Rela;ve strength - you don’t need to have the best, just need to be bemer than your enemy -
know your enemy.
• Informa;on and intelligence - to know so you can exploit them. Know how the enemy does their
things. Things you can measure. How loyal are the troops, how are they trained.
• Intelligence failures - inability to predict amack.
• Decep;on and surprise - you must always decep;ve and surprise your enemy in order to succeed and
gain a compara;ve advantage.
3. Mao X
- He was influenced by Sun Tzu.
- Both Sun Tzu and Mao strategics provided how to defeated a quan;ta;ve stronger power. Karl was about
being the stronger power.
- Both Sun Tzu and Mao were onen seen as more rela;ve.
- Mao believed that the only way to defeat an enemy was to over them through power using arms and
decisive bamle.
- He developed a three phase military strategy. He believed that you need to go through the countryside
and mobilise peasants [as peasants are significant - uses the masses]. Gorilla movement. Stalemate =
both sides stuck.
- Mao had the ability to take over poli;cal, economical and poli;cal development to build a plan on how to
conduct a revolu;on.
- Three phase military strategy:
• Revolu;onary movement and strategic defence
• Strategic stalement
• Strategic counter offensive
Strategic thought in Africa:
- SHAKA ZULU
• Integra;on of strategy, opera;onal and tac;cs
- MAHDI AND THE DEFEAT OF GORDON AND KHARTOUM
• Charisma;c leadership and mobilisa;on
- MENELIK AND THE BATTLE OF ADWA
4 Michelle Fernandes Notes
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