Nancy Tay Conflicts among Countries Nancy Tay What you need to know The causes of international conflicts Key Concepts you need to know War – armed conflict

Nancy Tay

Conflicts among Countries

Nancy Tay

What you need to know

The causes of international conflicts

Key Concepts you need to knowWar – armed conflict between two or more governments or statesCold War – a period of suspicion and hostility between communist and capitalist countries. It usually refers to the tension between capitalist USA and communist USSR, although no war was fought between them

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Key Concepts you need to knowCommunism – a classless social and political system in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state or the people as a whole.Capitalism – A system in which production and trade are based on the private ownership of wealth and free marketDemocracy – Government by all the people usually through elected representatives

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Reasons for Conflicts Among Countries

Present alternative courses of action

Discuss pros/cons of each Causes of Conflict Among Countries

Competition for scarce resources

such as land, water,Oil and fish

Differing valuesAnd belief

systems

Competing claimsOver territory for

Defense or nationalpride

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Case Study 1 : Conflict between Iceland and Britain over fishing ground

Competition for Scarce Nat Resources

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Background details1. Iceland has few natural resources-

> depends on its fishing industry for survival

79% of Iceland’s total export comprises fresh fish and fish productsTherefore, impt to maintain sustainable levels of fish stocks in the seas around Iceland


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Background details2. 1970’s

Fish stocks, especially cod, fell by 1/3 because of overfishing by Belgium, German and British fishermen in th e seas around Iceland

3. Iceland wanted other countries to reduce the volume of their fish catches


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Steps Taken and ResultsIceland suggested several ways to regulate

fishing to the UN Conference on the Law of the Sea -> most suggestions were ignoredOct 1975: Iceland extended its zone of control over fishing grounds from 50 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles Most countries complied with the new regulation, except Britain which continued to fish inside the disputed areas


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Steps Taken and ResultsNov 1975: Frequent collisions between Britain’s frigates and Iceland’s Coast Guard -> each side blamed the other for the collisions Feb 1976: Iceland broke off diplomatic ties with BritainJune 1976: Iceland and Britain signed an agreement


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Steps Taken and ResultsTerms:

Britain was allowed to catch a fixed amount of fish A max of 24 British trawlers were allowed inside the 200 nautical-mile-zone at any one timeIcelandic patrol vessels were allowed to stop and inspect British trawlers suspected of violating the agreementAgreement would last 6 months after which, Britain had no right to fish inside the 200 nautical-mile-zone


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Conflict Between Israel and Jordan over Water Supplies

The Jordan river is the major source of water for both Israel and JordanEarly 1950s:Israel wanted to cultivate additional desert land -> built a new pipeline to bring water from the Jordan River to the Negev Desert called the National Water Carrier, an integrated network of pumping stations, reservoirs, canals and pipelines Pipelines became the central water supply for Israel but pipeline was a threat to Jordan’s water supply

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Downstream users in Jordan could not get the water they neededBorder clashes between Jordan and Israel1967 Israeli – Jordanian WarIsrael won and occupied the Golan Heights Israel also

Gained complete control of the Upper Jordan RiverJordan could not tap as much water from the Jordan RiverCritical shortage of water in Jordan

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Israel alsodestroyed a dam Jordan was constructing on the Yarmouk River during the warDiverted large amounts of water from the Yarmouk River into Lake TiberiasObstructed all attempts by Jordan to build a water storage system to improve its water supply

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Yarmouk RiverLake Tiberias

Golan

Heights

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Steps Taken and ResultsJordan and Israel signed a peace treaty

Both agree to share the Jordan River and provide each other with waterBoth agree to build dams and create storage facilities to hold excess rainwater

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Conflict Between Democracy and Communism In North and South Korea

Before WWII, Korea was under Japanese controlAug 1945: Japanese surrendered. Korea was divided into two half at the 38th parallel:

Russian troops occupied territories north of 38th parallelAmerican troops occupied territories south of the parallel

Different Values and Beliefs

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1947: UN called for an election to establish a single government for a united KoreaUSSR refused to allow an election in the northCreated a Democratic People’s Republic of Korea or North Korea (capital at Pyongyang) Became a communist country


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Aug 1948: election was held in the south =>formation of the Republic of Korea or South Korea (capital at Seoul)1949: Russian and American troops withdrew from North and South respectivelyGovernments of the two Koreas each claimed the right to rule the whole Korean peninsula This led to frequent border clashes


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WAR1950-1953

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War broke out between the two KoreasNorth Korea supported by communist People’s Republic of ChinaSouth Korea supported by the USA and its western alliesUSA and it’s allies agreed to defend the South with the support of the UN to prevent the communists from extending their influence into South Korea

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1950—June 25 Early morning, North Korean People’s Army invaded South Korea with seven assault infantry divisions, a tank brigade and 2 independent infantry regiments. UN Security Council resolution calls for an end of aggression from North Korea

Korean War Chronological Order

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1953: Both sides signed an agreement to stop the fighting

Creation of a demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, that is, an area where there are no weapons or soldiers

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Border Conflicts between India and China

Competing Claims Over Territory

WAR6th October 1962

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No clear defined border between India and China because much of their frontier lies in the inaccessible HimalayasTwo border regions became areas of conflict between India and China:

Aksai Chin plateau on the western end of India-China frontierNorth East Frontier Agency (NEFA) on the eastern end of the India-China frontier

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Late 1950s:China began to contest India’s presence in several localities along the border

1958:China announced that it had build a road on the Aksai Chin plateauProtests by the Indian government=> tension increased

1959:Tension worsened when fighting broke out in the NEFA and Aksai Chin regions

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Mid – 1961:China occupied more of the territories which India regarded as its own Indian government demanded the return of these territories but China refused

1962:War broke out between China and IndiaEnded quickly although issues not resolved Numerous border incidents have broken out since 1962

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Sino Indian war 1962 - This website offer a detailed account of the Indian China war of 1962 Readings

1. Basmati Case Study2. Problems and Issues in Modern History –

Korea3. Norway –IWC dispute on Whaling4. Israeli Water Use and Exports

Documents

Nancy Tay Conflicts among Countries Nancy Tay What you need to know The causes of international conflicts Key Concepts you need to know War – armed conflict