Gambling on War

Confidence, Fear, and the Tragedy of the First World War

Business & Finance, Economics, Economic History, Nonfiction, History
Cover of the book Gambling on War by Roger L. Ransom, Cambridge University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Roger L. Ransom ISBN: 9781108608176
Publisher: Cambridge University Press Publication: July 31, 2018
Imprint: Cambridge University Press Language: English
Author: Roger L. Ransom
ISBN: 9781108608176
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication: July 31, 2018
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Language: English

The First World War left a legacy of chaos that is still with us a century later. Why did European leaders resort to war and why did they not end it sooner? Roger L. Ransom sheds new light on this enduring puzzle by employing insights from prospect theory and notions of risk and uncertainty. He reveals how the interplay of confidence, fear, and a propensity to gamble encouraged aggressive behavior by leaders who pursued risky military strategies in hopes of winning the war. The result was a series of military disasters and a war of attrition which gradually exhausted the belligerents without producing any hope of ending the war. Ultimately, he shows that the outcome of the war rested as much on the ability of the Allied powers to muster their superior economic resources to continue the fight as it did on success on the battlefield.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The First World War left a legacy of chaos that is still with us a century later. Why did European leaders resort to war and why did they not end it sooner? Roger L. Ransom sheds new light on this enduring puzzle by employing insights from prospect theory and notions of risk and uncertainty. He reveals how the interplay of confidence, fear, and a propensity to gamble encouraged aggressive behavior by leaders who pursued risky military strategies in hopes of winning the war. The result was a series of military disasters and a war of attrition which gradually exhausted the belligerents without producing any hope of ending the war. Ultimately, he shows that the outcome of the war rested as much on the ability of the Allied powers to muster their superior economic resources to continue the fight as it did on success on the battlefield.

More books from Cambridge University Press

Cover of the book Ideological Conflict and the Rule of Law in Contemporary China by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book The Primordial Density Perturbation by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book Communications and British Operations on the Western Front, 1914–1918 by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book Isolated Singularities in Partial Differential Inequalities by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book Brexit Time by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book From Self to Social Relationships by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book Auschwitz, the Allies and Censorship of the Holocaust by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book Special Functions by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book Religious Pluralism and Values in the Public Sphere by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book The City and the Coming Climate by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book New Handbook of Mathematical Psychology: Volume 2, Modeling and Measurement by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book Money for Votes by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer Psychology by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book International Intellectual Property and the ASEAN Way by Roger L. Ransom
Cover of the book Conceptual Revolutions in Twentieth-Century Art by Roger L. Ransom
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy