Why Nations Fight: Past and Future Motives for War

by Richard Ned Lebow

2021-01-01 01:40:06

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... Read more
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. Less

Book Details

File size9.02 X 5.98 X 0.83 in
Print pages308
PublisherCambridge University Press
Publication date September 2, 2010
LanguageEnglish
ISBN9780521192835
Richard Ned Lebow is professor of International Political Theory in the Department of War Studies at King's College London and James O. Freedman Presidential Professor Emeritus of Government at Dartmo...

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