Just and Unjust Warriors: Marking the 35th Anniversary of Walzer’s Just and Unjust Wars

• Chayes, Antonia

Abstract

This article addresses the question whether victory in war implies a post-conflict obligation to rebuild the vanquished society after war. And, if it does, what is the nature of that obligation? Is it legal, or moral, or a practical necessity for self-protection of the intervening international community? This article demonstrates that no legal requirement exists, and suggests that, while perhaps there should be a moral imperative, no such norm has yet been established. A dominant motivation seems to be to prevent recurrence of conflict that will threaten the international community. In other words, reconstruction efforts are aimed more at protection of the interveners than at the host-nation population. Paradoxically, even when support for military intervention has been lacking, international support does develop, although unevenly, for assisting social and physical reconstruction. But it is hard to find the type of action that might assure that conflict will not recur. Social and reconstruction activities seem haphazard and poorly planned. Policies seem to result from compromises among many political and economic interests. There is an obvious need for more effective planning and execution to achieve even the limited and self-interested goals that motivate the efforts in the first place.