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7%OFFAlexander B. Downes - Targeting Civilians in War - 9780801478376 - V9780801478376
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Targeting Civilians in War

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Description for Targeting Civilians in War Paperback. Series: Cornell Studies in Security Affairs. Num Pages: 328 pages, 23, 23 tables. BIC Classification: JWKT. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 235 x 159 x 19. Weight in Grams: 462.

Accidental harm to civilians in warfare often becomes an occasion for public outrage, from citizens of both the victimized and the victimizing nation. In this vitally important book on a topic of acute concern for anyone interested in military strategy, international security, or human rights, Alexander B. Downes reminds readers that democratic and authoritarian governments alike will sometimes deliberately kill large numbers of civilians as a matter of military strategy. What leads governments to make such a choice?

Downes examines several historical cases: British counterinsurgency tactics during the Boer War, the starvation blockade used by the Allies against Germany in ... Read more

In Targeting Civilians in War, Downes explores several major recent conflicts, including the 1991 Persian Gulf War and the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Civilian casualties occurred in each campaign, but they were not the aim of military action. In these cases, Downes maintains, the achievement of quick and decisive victories against overmatched foes allowed democracies to win without abandoning their normative beliefs by intentionally targeting civilians. Whether such "restraint" can be guaranteed in future conflicts against more powerful adversaries is, however, uncertain.

During times of war, democratic societies suffer tension between norms of humane conduct and pressures to win at the lowest possible costs. The painful lesson of Targeting Civilians in War is that when these two concerns clash, the latter usually prevails.

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Product Details

Publisher
Cornell University Press United States
Number of pages
328
Format
Paperback
Publication date
2012
Series
Cornell Studies in Security Affairs
Condition
New
Number of Pages
328
Place of Publication
Ithaca, United States
ISBN
9780801478376
SKU
V9780801478376
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 7 to 11 working days
Ref
99-1

About Alexander B. Downes
Alexander B. Downes, a winner of the Helen Dwight Reid Award, is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Duke University.

Reviews for Targeting Civilians in War
"This is a magnificent work and towering achievement. With both innovative historical studies and comprehensive statistical analysis, Downes powerfully demonstrates an original and disturbing thesis—that democracies are just as likely as autocracies to target civilians in war, and even more so when they fear that they will lose. All scholars of international security and military history should read this book, ... Read more

Goodreads reviews for Targeting Civilians in War


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