World of Protracted Conflicts

Michael Brecher is the R.B. Angus Professor of Political Science at McGill University.

Protracted interstate conflicts—those between or among states that last for more than 10 years and involve three or more crises—have led to some of the worst incidents of violence in the last century, and many remain unresolved, threatening the security of almost every region of the world. This book provides one of the most comprehensive studies of these cases, analyzing all 33 since the end of World War I. These include well-known cases such as India-Pakistan and North and South Korea, as well as less-studied cases such as Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The history of each case is presented in depth to begin the volume. The author then develops a theoretical model for attempting to understand why protracted interstate conflicts begin, why they escalate and persist, and why some are able to be resolved. Each model is then tested with qualitative evidence from every case to identify the most important explanatory factors. Suited for graduate students and academics, the book makes a novel contribution to the literature on interstate conflict. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students and faculty.

• Chapter 1 ConceptsChapter 2 Historical RootsChapter 3 CasesChapter 4 Model I: OnsetChapter 5 Causes: Testing Model IChapter 6 Model II: PersistenceChapter 7 Discordant ObjectivesChapter 8 PerceptionsChapter 9 Behavior Chapter 10 Conflict-Sustaining ActsChapter 11 Persistence: Testing Model IIChapter 12 Model III: ResolutionChapter 13 Conflict Management and Resolution: Testing Model IIIChapter 14 What Have We Learned?