Synopses & Reviews
Military occupation is a recurrent feature of modern international politics and yet has received little attention from political scientists. This book, newly available in paperback, sets out to remedy this neglect, offering:* An account of military occupation as a form of government* An assessment of key trends in the development of military occupations over the last two centuries* An explanation the conceptual and practical difficulties encountered by occupiers* Examples drawn from, amongst others, the First and Second World Wars, US occupations in Latin America and Japan, the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, and the current occupation of IraqAfter a survey of the evolving practice and meaning of military occupation the book deals with its contested definitions, challenging restrictive approaches that disguise the true extent of the incidence of military occupation. Subsequent chapters explain the diverse forms that military government within occupation regimes take on and the role of civilian governors and agencies within occupation regimes; the significance of military occupation for our understanding of political obligation; the concept of sovereignty; the nature and meaning of justice; and our evaluation of regime transformation under conditions of military occupation.
Synopsis
Case studies include: Occupier/Occupied: United States and the Mexican Territory (1846 to 1848); Confederate states during the Civil War; Germany and France from 1870 to 1871; Egypt from 1882 to 1954; Cuba at the end of the nineteenth century; Haiti and the Philippines in the twentieth century; Rhineland after World War I; Italy, Germany, France, Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, and North Africa during World War II; South Korea; Iraq at both the end of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first; and Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.
Synopsis
Stirk argues that military occupation should be regarded as a political phenomenon - a distinct form of government at the heart of which is the nature of obligation on the part of both the occupier and the occupied. He aims to promote a change in the understanding of occupation, thereby avoiding the perpetuation of recent failures in this area.
Synopsis
Argues that military occupation must be regarded as a distinct form of government
Military occupation is a recurrent feature of modern international politics and yet has received little attention from political scientists. This book, newly available in paperback, sets out to remedy this neglect, offering:
- An account of military occupation as a form of government
- An assessment of key trends in the development of military occupations over the last two centuries
- An explanation the conceptual and practical difficulties encountered by occupiers
- Examples drawn from, amongst others, the First and Second World Wars, US occupations in Latin America and Japan, the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, and the current occupation of Iraq
After a survey of the evolving practice and meaning of military occupation the book deals with its contested definitions, challenging restrictive approaches that disguise the true extent of the incidence of military occupation. Subsequent chapters explain the diverse forms that military government within occupation regimes take on and the role of civilian governors and agencies within occupation regimes; the significance of military occupation for our understanding of political obligation; the concept of sovereignty; the nature and meaning of justice; and our evaluation of regime transformation under conditions of military occupation.
Key Features
- Deals with military occupation as a form of government
- Draws on a wide range of examples to illustrate themes such as political obligation, sovereignty and justice
- Argues that military occupation covers a wider range than is often assumed, including 'international administration' under the auspices of the UN
About the Author
Peter M.R. Stirk is Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Durham.