ARTICLE
Public Opinion vis-à-vis ‘Western Wars’:
A Case Study of the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo
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Publication date: 2015-09-30
Stosunki Międzynarodowe – International Relations 2015;51(3):99-122
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ABSTRACT
After the end of Cold War rivalry, European and North American states repeatedly
took part in military interventions abroad. Each time, the democratic governments
of these states were obliged to try to convince their own societies about the need
for engagement. The Gulf War, the Bosnian War, and the Kosovo War are examples
of conflicts during which mass media and public opinion influenced political
decisions. As the authors indicated, public opinion is rather restrained towards the
use of force in international relations. Modern mass media, however, could in some
cases enhance public support for military intervention by showing people cruelty
of the war. Nevertheless, free media and democratic government generally make
it definitely harder to make the decision on engagement in a military conflict. The
reasons behind the rises and falls in public support for such engagement remain
complex and difficult to explain by any trackable factors. The ongoing spread of
social media around the world changes the mechanisms of conducting information
warfare today.