Description
Book SynopsisThe question of what causes war has concerned statesmen since the time of Thucydides. This title utilizes data on militarized interstate disputes from 1816 to 2001 to identify the factors that increase the probability that a crisis will escalate to war.
Trade Review"In this detailed, complex book, Vasquez and the late Senese set out to add to the 'steps to war' body of literature."--J. Fields, Choice "[T]his book is an exemplar of empirical peace science... For Paul Senese, whose service to the peace science community and commitment to peace research ended unfortunately too soon, it is a fitting, albeit unwelcome, coda that will continue to inspire us as we endeavor to unravel the enduring problem of international war."--Mark J.C. Crescenzi, Perspectives on Politics "This is an important book that confirms many of the postulates of the steps to war theory in a compelling fashion. It also provides a seminal example of 'scientific' research in international relations."--Alex Bellamy, Political Studies Review "This book is highly recommended to the student of conflict data and the general reader capable of wading through the statistical analysis."--Michael Izbicki, International Journal on World Peace
Table of ContentsList of Figures and Tables ix Preface xi Acknowledgments xv Introduction 1 PART I: Foundations Chapter 1: The Steps to War 7 Chapter 2: The Evolution of a Research Program: Research Design 37 PART II: Territory and War Chapter 3: From Territorial Claims to Territorial Disputes: Testing for Selection Effects 75 Chapter 4: Territory, Contiguity, and Their Interaction: A Contingent Model of Interstate Conflict 104 PART III: Power Politics and War Chapter 5: The Probability of War between Nation-States 129 Chapter 6: The Probability of Crisis Escalation 179 Chapter 7: Exploring Interactions in the Steps to War 215 PART IV: Conclusion Chapter 8: Explaining War, Thinking about Peace 251 References 281 Name Index 301 Subject Index 307
