War
Class one
Key term: International criminal court
ICC is a permanent tribunal that tries individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, crime of hostility, and war crimes amongst the member countries that are signatories of the Rome statute.
Establishment and objectives of ICC
- Establishment
The ICC was established on 17th July 1998 under Rome Statutes. Rome statute is a global treaty that bound the member states that expressed an interesting in accepting the provisions made. The states that consented to the Rome Statute became the parties it. In 20002, the statute was enforced with sixty member states. Over the years, ICC has attracted more member state, and in 2013, 122 states were registered as members. The court was instituted in The Hague, Netherlands, although the court proceedings can be conducted from any place. ICC has an Assembly of State Parties that serves as the management supervisors and governmental body of the court. Since ICC adopted the Rome Statute, UN summoned the preparatory Commission, where all states were invited to take part. The preparatory commission agreed on the rules of procedures, element of crimes, and evidence, which was consequently accepted by the Assembly of State Parties.
- Objectives
The main aim of ICC is to complement national judicial organizations by fighting impunity for international crimes resulting to crime control. The court ensures that justice is administered by punishing the perpetrators. This prevents both the perpetrators and the general public from further crimes in the future. ICC also aims at fulfilling fair trial notion and the perception of ‘due process of law’ that protects and enforces people’s rights to a fair trial. Another objective of ICC is to ensure that the victims are tried without delay. ICC accepts the notion of expeditious proceedings that gives the victim the right to be tried without unnecessary delay. The hearing of the cases is supposed to take reasonable time.
Class two
Key word: Samurai
Samurai also known as bushi were the armed forces dignity of medieval and early-modern Japan. The term also meant those who served in higher ranks in the society, referring to middle and upper warriors’ class.
Rise of Samurai in ancient Japan
Samurai war broke out of continues land crisis among the main three clans in Japan of Minamoto, Fujiwara, and Taira between 9th and 12th century A.D. Most of the samurais were rulers although some were hired. The warriors portrayed loyalty to their feudal landowners who were referred to as Daimayo. This loyalty was rewarded with land and promotion to power. The rise of samurai in Japan was triggered by numerous issues that aimed at redistribution of wealth.
Samurai emerged after the Taika reforms of 646 CE, which imposed heavy taxes on citizens in support of Chinese empire. Most of the small scale farmers were unable to afford these taxes thus forcing them to sell their land and work as occupant farmers. There were a few groups that owned large farms thus their acquired more wealth and power, which created a feudal system.
In 1900s, Heian, which was had weak emperor lost control over rural Japan to samurai. The collapse of Heian Empire was a result of a sudden death of emperor Toba who died before appointing his successor. His sons were enhanced in civil war to fight for the position, but they both lost. This lost resulted to Heian Empire losing all the remaining powers to samurai (Storry, 1978). In 1100, samurai had most of military and political power over most parts of Japan. In 1160, the Taira instituted the first samurai government.
Class three
Key term: Hernando (‘Hernan’) Cortes
Hernando Cortes was a Spanish military commander and colonizer who subjugated Aztec empire in Mexico in 1521, which led to the elimination of Native American culture in Mesoamerica. He adopted method of other Conquistadors such as torture, enormous destruction of lives and property, and capturing of the leaders.
Lesson today commanders can learn from Hernando Cortes
Hernando Cortes had several leadership characteristics that helped him and his small army to achieve great success. Although the Aztec empire was powerful and had conquered numerous communities, Hernando Cortes managed to conquer it easily. He also recruited those who had been defeated by Aztec and were forced to pay heavy taxes to his forces. On analyzing the strategies of Hernando Cortes, there are numerous lessons that the present army can acquire to help them improve their leadership qualities.
From his life, today’s army can learn the importance of strategizing carefully before attacking the enemy. Hernando Cortes had such a superb strategy against Aztec Empire such that the emperor and his army did not suspect any ill from him. On the contrary, they gave him a warm welcome, which enabled him to make his to imprison the emperor and make demand or ransom compensation of gold and jewelry (Parker, 2008).
Another lesson that the military can learn from Hernando Cortes is the importance of team work and unity in work. Although King Charles appointed officers to work with Cortes out of mistrust, Cortes worked closely with these officers. He was unwavering and focused on his operation of eliminating customs and religious ceremonies of Native Americans and introduces Christianity. His concentration was on expansion of Spanish empire, but not his selfish gain.
Again, modern military can learn the trait of staying strong from the Hernando Cortes. After his return in Spain, he was feared by most power for the power and wealth that he had acquired. He was taken to exile, but did not faint even when his wealth was taken to a point of becoming bankrupt. He remained strong and went bank to New Spain with the focus of gaining back his power.
Class four
Key term: Surrender
Surrender is a military term that means giving up control over territory to another power, which van either be achieved peacefully or as a result of defeat in a fight. A sovereign state can sign a peace treaty to surrender after a war defeat
Justification of US president Harry Truman dropping atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Sometimes a leader has to make harsh decision in order to better the situation. Although the issue of bombing a state is not the best option, the intensified killing innocent lives can trigger such an action. The US president was justified to issue a command about bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki. His aim was to prevent more lives from being wasted as it was anticipated that is the war was to continue, between 250,000 and a million lives were to be lost. Truman knew the power to end the war was in his hand, but the only way was to unleash the most terrible weapon that is bombing.
Truman concluded to unleash the atomic bomb after learning that the both his soldiers and civilians had grown weary after four years of war, yet Japanese military were not willing to surrender. Truman and his military had issued an allied demand to Japan leadership on an unconditional surrender. On their demand, they indicated that failure to surrender would lead to massive destruction, but they did not mention about the introduction of atomic bombs. The Japanese military leaders rejected the order of unconditional surrender but illustrated willingness to conditional surrender (Asada, 1998). Japanese refusal to unconditional surrender made Truman make his decision on unleashing the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These bombing had vast destruction on Japan leading to their surrender. Truman decision about bombing Japan ended the war that had taken place for four years and had potential to continue killing more innocent lives.
Class five:
Key term: Chapter 7 of UN Charter
This is the chapter that sets out the authorities of the United Nations Security Council to uphold peace. It enables the council to determine the threats of peace, act of violence, and breach of peace and hence take the necessary measures to restore peace and security internationally.
The extent to which chapter 7 goes in permitting the use of force to combat threats to international peace and stability
Chapter seven of the UN charter has invented powers to the councils to take reasonable action on any indicator of threat to international peace (Buergenthal, Shelton, & Stewart, 2009). The powers given are not extreme because there is a need to determine the existence of threat before forcefully taking measures.
Although the chapter gives the council the right to maintain peace, article 40 instructs the council to call upon the parties concerned before making recommendations. Such measures ensure that the council is not prejudiced to the rights, claims, and position of the parties. The council may decide on the measure to take without involving armed forces (Parker, 2008). In case the Security Council must use force, it utilizes the services on member states before calling upon non-members.
The issue of international peace is universally important; therefore, it requires special care in handling. UN has the mandate to maintain this peace and fight against any action that may pose a threat to it. The powers in chapter 7 of UN charter are within the reasonable limit because it makes all the necessary provision to curb insecurity without infringing the rights of people.
References
Asada, S. (1998). The Shock of the Atomic Bomb and Japan’s Decision to Surrender: A Reconsideration. Pacific Historical Review, 67(4), 477-512.
Buergenthal, T., Shelton, D. L., & Stewart, D. P. (2009). International human rights in a nutshell.
Geoffrey, R. (2000). Crimes Against Humanity: The Struggle for Global Justice
Parker, G. (Ed.). (2008). The Cambridge Illustrated History of Warfare. Cambridge University Press.
Storry, R. (1978). The way of the samurai. Orbis.
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