Tools of War, Tools of State: When Children Become Soldiers (SUNY series, James N. Rosenau series in Global Politics) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 143847198X ISBN 13: 9781438471983

Publisher: State University of New York Press, 2019

Synopsis

Examines why many governments, rebels, and terrorist organizations are using children as soldiers.

Despite the supposed taboo against the practice, many governments, rebels, and terrorist groups use children in war to spy and kill. In Tools of War, Tools of State, Robert Tynes examines this complex problem, demonstrating that the modern use of children in war is a tactical innovation. He discusses how boys and girls on the battlefield bolster troop size, create moral dilemmas, and deepen the level of fear. He also reveals how the practice has become an essential component for groups such as ISIS and al-Shabaab, in their state-making projects. Using statistical methods to analyze conflicts from 1987 to 2007, Tynes shows how widespread child soldier use is and confirms the theory that it is tactically advantageous. Through historical analysis, he explains how child soldiering developed out of Mao's protracted war theory and the militarization of youth during the twentieth century. A case study of the civil war in Sierra Leone, which details the brutality involved when children are forced to fight, is included.

About this title

About the Author

Robert Tynes is Associate Director of Research and Site Director for the Bard Prison Initiative at Bard College.

Edition details

• Publisher: State University of New York Press
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 143847198X
• ISBN 13: 9781438471983
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 278
• Editor: Tynes Robert