An Assessment of Realism; a Case Study of the Theory Behind the Gulf War

As the world becomes increasingly globalised and the geographical boarders that once separated nations are eroded by the advancement of technology, explaining the behaviour of state interactions is a vital step in predicting the future of the international world. One tool in analyising the way states can potentially interact with each other is through the application of international theories. If a theory can be found to apply to the international system in a valid way this does much to support the explanation of international interaction that the theory introduces. This essay proposes that by applying the theory of Realism to the Persian Gulf conflict occurring in 1990, the theory can be evaluated as a successful theory, as its primary causes stemmed from realist assertions that states seek to maximise their power, evident in the United States’ focus on preserving economic and political interests in the region. Power in an international sense can be defined as having the means to get a state to do what they would not otherwise do. To understand this conflict it is necessary to gain some historical perspective and investigate the precursors for the conflict itself.
Before understanding the Persian Gulf conflict, it is necessary to explore the historical background surrounding the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Iraq had previously been involved in a large scale conflict between itself and Iran. The conflict left Iraq economically weak as well as costing the lives of a significant number of civilian and military personnel. “The Iraqi foreign reserves plunged from $35 million at the start of the war to $3 billion” One of the biggest issues to come from the conclusion of the war was that the Iraqi government was left hugely indebted to other nations, primarily Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. “Its foreign policy would be defined accordingly.” These economic tensions in Iraq quickly evolved into diplomatic issues with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait which ultimately motivated Iraqi

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