Motivations for Humanitarian intervention

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. The Normative Debate

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. The Legal and Moral Legitimacy of Intervention

      • Andreas Krieg

      Pages 3-35

   3. National Interests and Altruism in Humanitarian Intervention

      • Andreas Krieg

      Pages 37-58

3. The Empirical Analysis

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 59-59

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   2. The Motivation for Humanitarian Intervention

      • Andreas Krieg

      Pages 61-121

   3. Quantitative Analysis

      • Andreas Krieg

      Pages 123-132

   4. Conclusion

      • Andreas Krieg

      Pages 133-136

This Brief sheds light on the motivation of humanitarian intervention from a theoretical and empirical point of view. An in-depth analysis of the theoretical arguments surrounding the issue of a legitimate motivation for humanitarian intervention demonstrate to what extent either altruism or national/self-interests are considered a righteous stimulus. The question about what constitutes a just intervention has been at the core of debates in Just War Theory for centuries. In particular in regards to humanitarian intervention it is oftentimes difficult to define the criteria for a righteous intervention. More than in conventional military interventions, the motivation and intention behind humanitarian intervention is a crucial factor.   Whether the humanitarian intervention cases of the post-Cold War era were driven by altruistic or by self-interested considerations is a question is covered within and enables a comprehensive and holistic evaluation of the question of what motivates Western democracies to intervene or to abstain from intervention in humanitarian crises. ​

• humanitarian intervention
• just war theory
• military interventions
• motivations intervention
• righteous intervention
• theories of intervention

• , War & Defence Studies, King's College London, London, United Kingdom

  Andreas Krieg

Policies and ethics