Theoretical Analysis of NATO’s Humanitarian Intervention in Kosovo

Abstract

The theories of international relations attempt to find the reasons and circumstances that sometimes lead the states both to the conflict and cooperation. Every international situation is a choice between the conflict and cooperation. International political process are very complex, therefore, it is impossible to make political predictions without theoretical analysis. Policy-makers and experts of international relations often use theories of international relations in order to determine/explain/predict what steps the statesmen should take to solve a problem or how to act regarding the issues in international politics. However, it should be noted that it is impossible for any theory to fully explain all events and their causes. That is why, this or that event should be analyzed from the perspective of several theories to confirm whether the main postulates and assumptions of these theories work or not in a specific case. The present paper will deal with the theoretical analysis of NATO’s humanitarian intervention in Kosovo and will attempt to explain the main causes of this event through the lens of theories of international relations. In particular, by contrasting offensive realism and liberalism, the paper reveals how the great powers use humanitarian intervention and “just war” for national interests.