Preemptive war facts for kids
A preemptive war is when a country attacks another country or group first. This happens because the first country believes the other side is about to attack them. The main goal is to stop the threat before it can cause harm.
This idea of striking first to prevent an attack is very old. For example, Sun Tzu, an ancient Chinese general and thinker, wrote about using preemptive attacks. He believed it was smart to make sure your enemy could not attack you first. Sometimes, a country might declare war before a preemptive strike. Other times, they might not.
A preemptive war is often seen as a way to defend yourself. This is true if it is very clear that an enemy is planning a dangerous attack. If a country attacks first to protect itself, it can say it was a good thing to do. This helps them avoid being called an "aggressor," which means someone who starts a fight.
Preemptive War vs. Preventive War
It can be confusing to tell the difference between a preemptive war and a preventive war.
A preemptive war means striking first to gain an advantage. This happens when an enemy clearly intends to attack and cause great damage. The 1967 Six-Day War is a good example. Egypt and Syria seemed ready to attack Israel. So, Israel attacked them first in a preemptive strike.
For a first strike to be called preemptive, certain things should be true:
- The enemy clearly shows they want to cause harm.
- The enemy is actively preparing to attack, making them a clear danger.
- Not attacking first would greatly increase the chance of being defeated.
A preventive war is different. It is when a country attacks another to stop them from ever being able to wage war in the future. This kind of war is based on guessing what might happen later.
The United Nations Charter has a rule, Article 51. It says countries have the right to defend themselves if an armed attack actually happens. Some ideas, like the Bush Doctrine, suggest a country can attack another. This would be to stop them from possibly attacking in the future, even if they cannot do it right now. Calling such an attack "preemptive" does not change it from being preventive.
Sometimes, a preventive war might seem justified. For example, when Adolf Hitler became Germany's leader in 1933. He openly said he would build up Germany's army again. He also said he would take lands needed for German "living space." Nazi Germany claimed they only wanted what was fair. They said they would live in peace once they had it.
But many people in Europe saw this was not true. By the start of World War II, most people realized his earlier statements were false. By then, it was too late to stop him easily. A very costly and destructive war was needed to finally defeat Hitler.
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Images for kids
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Japanese experts inspect the scene of the "railway sabotage" at Mukden of the South Manchurian Railway.
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Gliwice Radio Tower today. It was the scene of the Gleiwitz incident in September 1939
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Israeli Air Force F-16A Netz 107 with 6.5 aerial victory marks and Osirak bombing mark
