Why Nations Fight
Past and Future Motives for War
Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, International, International Relations, History
| Author: | Richard Ned Lebow | ISBN: | 9780511849213 |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press | Publication: | September 2, 2010 |
| Imprint: | Cambridge University Press | Language: | English |
| Author: | Richard Ned Lebow |
| ISBN: | 9780511849213 |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| Publication: | September 2, 2010 |
| Imprint: | Cambridge University Press |
| Language: | English |
Four generic motives have historically led states to initiate war: fear, interest, standing, and revenge. Using an original data set, Richard Ned Lebow examines the distribution of wars across three and a half centuries and argues that, contrary to conventional wisdom, only a minority of these were motivated by security or material interest. Instead, the majority are the result of a quest for standing, and for revenge - an attempt to get even with states who had previously made successful territorial grabs. Lebow maintains that today none of these motives are effectively served by war - it is increasingly counterproductive - and that there is growing recognition of this political reality. His analysis allows for more fine-grained and persuasive forecasts about the future of war as well as highlighting areas of uncertainty.
Four generic motives have historically led states to initiate war: fear, interest, standing, and revenge. Using an original data set, Richard Ned Lebow examines the distribution of wars across three and a half centuries and argues that, contrary to conventional wisdom, only a minority of these were motivated by security or material interest. Instead, the majority are the result of a quest for standing, and for revenge - an attempt to get even with states who had previously made successful territorial grabs. Lebow maintains that today none of these motives are effectively served by war - it is increasingly counterproductive - and that there is growing recognition of this political reality. His analysis allows for more fine-grained and persuasive forecasts about the future of war as well as highlighting areas of uncertainty.
