Description
This paper presents an original theoretical model, “The Cycle of War Legitimization,” which explores the dynamic evolution of justifications for armed conflicts in the 21st century. Unlike traditional linear approaches, this model captures the iterative nature of legitimizing war, structured around four key phases: initial justification, conflict dynamics, social reactions, and post-conflict evaluations. Each phase reflects the interplay between moral, political, and social dimensions, highlighting how these factors influence the shifting legitimacy of military interventions over time. By integrating qualitative content analysis, comparative case studies, narrative analysis, and quantitative data evaluation, the model provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the complex processes that underlie war legitimization. To demonstrate its applicability, the model is applied to major contemporary conflicts, including the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Georgia, and Ukraine. These cases illustrate how justifications, initially rooted in moral or political objectives, evolve as conflicts progress and how international and societal reactions impact the perceived legitimacy of war efforts. The analysis also includes the role of media narratives, public opinion, and international responses, showing how they contribute to the construction and deconstruction of legitimacy. This model contributes to the literature on modern conflict studies by offering an adaptable tool for researchers and practitioners in international relations. It provides valuable insights into the dynamics of war justification, serving as a critical resource for analysing the complexities of conflict legitimacy in an increasingly interconnected global arena.
