Siver, Christi

Military interventions, war crimes, and protecting civilians Christi Siver - Cham, Switzerland : Palgrave Macmillan, c2018. - vii, 137 p. ; 22 cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

A Difficult Beginning for US ForcesMass Civilian Refugee Flows; Common Explanations; Savagery of Combat; "State of Shameful Unreadiness"; Socialization; Training; Enforcement; Subcultures and Countercultures; Poor Discipline and Bugging Out; Regimental Identity; Unit Leadership; Conclusion; References; Chapter 4: Enemies or Friendlies? British Military Behavior Toward Civilians During the Malayan Emergency; The Challenges of Reoccupation; The Realities of the "Emergency"; Killing Bandits and Sympathizers; Common Explanations; The Ugliness of the Enemy and Jungle Warfare.
Poor Morale and InexperienceSocialization; Training; Enforcement; Subculture and Counterculture; Discipline; Regimental Identity; The Scots Guards; The Suffolks; The Role of Unit Leaders; Conclusion; References; Chapter 5: The Dark Side of Peacekeeping: The Canadian Airborne Regiment in Somalia; New Internationalism and Canadian Leadership on the World Stage; The CAR; Camp Security and Engagement with Civilians; The Death of Shidane Arone; Common Explanations; Base Intrusions and Deterrence; White Soldiers and Black Bodies; Frustration and Morale; Socialization; Training; Enforcement.
SubcultureCAR Identity; Subcultures within the 3 Commandos; 2 Commando; 1 Commando; 3 Commando; Unit Leadership in CAR: The Difficulty of Penetrating a Counterculture; CAR and Its Leadership Struggles; 2 Commando and Leadership Failure; Leadership Challenges Throughout the CAR; Conclusion; References; Chapter 6: Conclusion; Implementing International Commitments; Socialization; Subculture; Strengthening War Crime Prevention; Remaining Questions; Index.



War crimes have devastating effects on victims and perpetrators and endanger broader political and military goals. The protection of civilians, one of the most fundamental norms in the laws of war, appears to have weakened despite almost universal international agreement. Using insights from organizational theory, this book seeks to understand the process between military socialization and unit participation in war crimes. How do militaries train their soldiers in the laws of war? How do they enforce compliance with these laws? Drawing on evidence from the Korean War, the Malayan Emergency, and the Canadian peacekeeping mission in Somalia, the author discovers that military efforts to train soldiers about the laws of war are poor and leadership often sent mixed signals about the importance of compliance. However, units that developed subcultures that embraced these laws and had strong leadership were more likely to comply than those with weak discipline or countercultural norms.

9783319776903


Political science
Comparative law
Political Science and International Relations
Conflict of laws
Military socialization

341.69 SI MI