A Farewell to Wars

The Growing Restraints on the Interstate Use of Force

Hans Blix (International Atomic Energy Agency)

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English

Cambridge University Press
23 November 2023

International relations; Public international law

Since World War II, there has been a trend towards fewer wars, the Russian invasion of the Ukraine standing as a major 'aberration'. With decades of experience as an international lawyer, diplomat and head of UN Iraq inspections, Hans Blix examines conflicts and other developments after World War II. He finds that new restraints on uses of force have emerged from fears about nuclear war, economic interdependence and UN Charter rules. With less interest in the conquest of land, states increasingly use economic or cyber means to battle their adversaries. Such a turn is not free from perils but should perhaps be welcomed as an alternative to previous methods of war. By analysing these new restraints, Blix rejects the fatalistic assumption that there will always be war. He submits that today leading powers are saying farewell to previous patterns of war, instead choosing to continue their competition for power and influence on the battlefields of economy and information.

By: Hans Blix (International Atomic Energy Agency)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 228mm, Width: 151mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 480g
ISBN: 9781009392501
ISBN 10: 1009392506
Pages: 310
Publication Date: 23 November 2023
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Introduction; 2. Interstate uses of force, tensions, and restraints by regions since World War II; 3. Interstate uses of force, tensions, and restraints during major phases of international relations since World War II; 4. Incentives to the interstate uses of force and restraints; 5. Historical evolution of norms and other means to restrain the use of force; 6. Overview of disincentives to and restraints on the interstate use of force; 7. Military strength to deter others from using force; 8. Nuclear and other non-conventional weapons and means as deterrents and threats; 9. Disarmament as restraint on the use of force; 10. Preventing the interstate use of force by preventing or solving conflicts: mediation, arbitration, fact-finding, diplomacy; 11. Restraints on the interstate use of force through legal norms; 12. UN Charter articles relating to the use of force; 13. The Security Council may use or authorize states or regional organizations to use force; 14. The right to individual and collective self-defence as an exception to Article 2:4; 15. Interventions triggered by factors unforeseen at the adoption of the Charter's ban on the interstate use of force; 16. Interventions seeking regime change, protection of people or punishment; 17. Findings regarding the role of norms to restrain the interstate use of force; 18. States are saying farewell to wars.

Hans Blix is a Swedish diplomat who has previously served as Foreign Minister of Sweden (1978–1979), Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (1981–1995) and Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission for Iraq (2000–2003). He has previously published Disarming Iraq (2004) and Why Nuclear Disarmament Matters (2008).

Reviews for A Farewell to Wars: The Growing Restraints on the Interstate Use of Force

'Is the plague of war slowly becoming a thing of the past, despite its occasional outbreaks? Stepping back from the here and now, this colossal work shines a light on the big picture of all the armed conflicts that have taken place, but also the conflicts that have been settled without bloodshed, since the Second World War. A huge task, fulfilled successfully and argued plausibly, this is a ray of hope in these bleak times in international relations.' Beatrice Heuser, University of Glasgow 'For some seventy years, Hans Blix has contributed significantly to the study and practice – and practical application – of international law. For decades, he served as Sweden's most senior international legal official in its Foreign Ministry, eventually as Foreign Minister, as Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and as the chief of the international inspectorate surveying Iraq's armaments. A pre-eminent preoccupation has been substituting the rule of law for recourse to international warfare. His study, A Farewell to Wars, while hopefully entitled, comes as Europe has reverted to being the field of major aggression and embattled self-defence. Its timeliness is all the greater.' Judge Stephen Schwebel 'Hans Blix deserves our gratitude for sharing his impressive experience. His book provides an excellent insight into the international legal order as it stands today. And it challenges readers to continue with the search for a farewell to wars without taking this goal for granted.' Dieter Fleck, Journal of Conflict & Security Law 'A Farewell to Wars is a monumental work about interstate use of force and armed intervention in the domestic affairs of others.' Samtiden Journal 'A monumental work about interstate use of force and armed intervention in the domestic affairs of others.' Sverre Lodgaard, Samtiden Journal