Why Nations Fight

Four generic motives have historically led states to initiate war: fear, interest, standing and revenge. Using an original dataset, 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.

Author: Richard Ned LeBow
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 02/09/2010
Pages: 308
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.60d
ISBN13: 9780521170451
ISBN10: 0521170451
BISAC Categories:
- Political Science | International Relations | General
- Technology & Engineering | Military Science