Clausewitz and African War: Politics and Strategy in Liberia and Somalia (Cass Military Studies)

Oil, Diamonds, Timber, Food Aid - Just Some Of The Suggestions Put Forward As Explanations For African Wars In The Past Decade. Another Set Of Suggestions Focuses On Ethnic And Clan Considerations. These Economic And Ethnic Or Clan Explanations Contend That Wars Are Specifically Not Fought By States For Political Interests With Mainly Conventional Military Means, As Originally Suggested By Carl Von Clausewitz In The 19th Century. This Study Shows How Alternative Social Organizations To The State Can Be Viewed As Political Actors Using War As A Political Instrument. This Book Shows That Wars That Have Hitherto Been Mainly Interpreted As Driven By Economic, Resource, Ethnic Or Clan Interests (such As The Conflicts In Liberia And Somalia In The Early 1990s) Do Have An Overriding Political Rationale, Which Revalidate Carl Von Clausewitz's Nineteenth-century Understanding Of War.--book Jacket. Clausewitz, The Nature Of War And African Warfare -- Case Study I : Liberia, 1989-97 -- Case Study Ii : Somalia, 1988-95 -- Political Actors -- Political Interests -- Political Instruments And Conventional War -- Politics And Strategy In African Wars : Intervention Dilemmas. Isabelle Duyvesteyn. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. BOOK COVER......Page 1 TITLE......Page 4 COPYRIGHT......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 8 Preface and acknowledgements......Page 10 1 Clausewitz the nature of war and African warfare......Page 16 2 Case study I Liberia 1989 97......Page 36 3 Case study II Somalia 1988 95......Page 52 4 Political actors......Page 68 5 Political interests......Page 90 6 Political instruments and conventional war......Page 108 7 Politics and strategy in African wars intervention dilemmas......Page 122 Notes......Page 141 Bibliography......Page 176 Index......Page 192 Humanities BOOK COVER 1 TITLE 4 COPYRIGHT 5 CONTENTS 8 Preface and acknowledgements 10 1 Clausewitz the nature of war and African warfare 16 2 Case study I Liberia 1989 97 36 3 Case study II Somalia 1988 95 52 4 Political actors 68 5 Political interests 90 6 Political instruments and conventional war 108 7 Politics and strategy in African wars intervention dilemmas 122 Notes 141 Bibliography 176 Index 192 This book shows that wars that have hitherto been mainly interpreted as driven by economic, resource, ethnic or clan interests (such as the conflicts in Liberia and Somalia in the early 1990s) do have an overriding political rationale, which revalidates Carl von Clausewitz's nineteenth-century understanding of war. This study shows that wars interpreted as driven by economic, resource, ethnic or clan interests (such as the conflicts in Liberia and Somalia in the 1990s) have an overriding political rationale, in line with Clausewitz's 19th century theory of