Caroline Holmqvist-Jonsäter - The Character of War in the 21st Century

This edited volume addresses the relationship between the essential nature of war and its character at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

The focus is on the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, situations that occupy a central role in international affairs and that have become highly influential in thinking about war in the widest sense. The intellectual foundation of the volume is Clausewitzs insight that though war has an enduring nature, its character changes with time, space, social structure and culture. The fact that wars character varies means that different actors may interpret, experience and, ultimately, wage war differently. The conflict between the ways that war is conceptualised in the prevailing Western and international discourse, and the manner in which it plays out on the ground is a key discussion point for scholars and practitioners in the field of international relations. Contributions combine insights from social theory, philosophy, sociology and strategic studies and ask directly what contemporary war is, and what the implications are for the future.

This book will be of much interest to students of war studies, strategic studies, security studies and international relations in general.

Caroline Holmqvist-Jonster is currently completing a PhD at the Department of War Studies, Kings College London.

Christopher Coker is Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He is the author of 11 books on war and security issues.

The International Studies series is based on the LSEs oldest research centre and like the LSE itself was established to promote inter-disciplinary studies. The Centre for International Studies facilitates research into many different aspects of the international community and produces interdisciplinary research into the international system as it experiences the forces of globalisation. As the capacity of domestic change to produce global consequences increases, so does the need to explore areas which cannot be confined within a single discipline or area of study. The series hopes to focus on the impact of cultural changes on foreign relations, the role of strategy and foreign policy and the impact of international law and human rights on global politics. It is intended to cover all aspects of foreign policy including, the historical and contemporary forces of empire and imperialism; the importance of domestic links to the international roles of states and non-state actors, particularly in Europe; and the relationship between development studies, international political economy and regional actors on a comparative basis, but is happy to include any aspect of the international with an inter-disciplinary aspect.

First published 2010
by Routledge
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Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
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2010 Selection and editorial matter, Caroline Holmqvist-Jonster and
Christopher Coker; individual chapters, the contributors

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
The character of war in the 21st century/edited by Caroline Holmqvist-Jonster and
Christopher Coker
p. cm.
1. War. 2. Insurgency. 3. Terrorism. 4. World politics21st century.
I. Holmqvist-Jonster, Caroline. II. Coker, Christopher.
JZ6385.C53 2009
355.02dc22
2009025095

ISBN 0-203-86331-3 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN10: 0415498325 (hbk)

ISBN10: 0203863313 (ebk)

ISBN13: 9780415498326 (hbk)

ISBN13: 9780203863312 (ebk)

Christopher Coker is Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He is the author of many books, the most recent being War in an Age of Risk (Polity, 2009). He served two terms on the Council of the Royal United Services Institute. He has written for The Wall Street Journal; The Times ; The Independent; The Spectator; The Times Literary Supplement and The Literary Review.

Isabelle Duyvesteyn is Associate Professor at the Department of History of International Relations at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. She completed a PhD at the Department of War Studies at Kings College London. Previously she has worked at the Royal Military Academy in the Netherlands and the Netherlands Institute for International Relations. She is currently conducting a large-scale study of the history and effectiveness of modern counter terrorism and counter insurgency funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). Her research interests include the nature of war and peace in the developing world, irregular warfare and strategy.