Asymmetric Conflicts: War Initiation by Weaker PowersCambridge University Press, 1994 M03 10 - 248 pages This book examines a question generally neglected in the study of international relations: why does a militarily and economically less powerful state initiate conflict against a relatively strong state? T. V. Paul analyses this phenomenon by focusing on the strategic and political considerations, domestic and international, which influence a weaker state to initiate war against a more powerful adversary. The key argument of deterrence theory is that the military superiority of the status quo power, coupled with a credible retaliatory threat, will prevent attack by challengers. The author challenges this assumption by examining six twentieth-century asymmetric wars, from the Japanese offensive against Russia in 1904 to the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982. The book's findings have wide implications for the study of war, power, deterrence, coercive diplomacy, strategy, arms races, and alliances. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION WAR INITIATION IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY | 3 |
EXPLAINING WAR INITIATION BY WEAKER POWERS IN ASYMMETRIC CONFLICTS | 15 |
THE CASE STUDIES | 39 |
THE JAPANESE OFFENSIVE AGAINST RUSSIA 1904 | 41 |
THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR 1941 | 64 |
THE CHINESE INTERVENTION IN KOREA 1950 | 86 |
THE PAKISTANI OFFENSIVE IN KASHMIR 1965 | 107 |
THE EGYPTIAN OFFENSIVE IN THE SINAI 1973 | 126 |
THE ARGENTINE INVASION OF THE FALKLANDSMALVINAS 1982 | 146 |
CONCLUSION | 167 |
NOTES | 179 |
224 | |
242 | |
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Common terms and phrases
adversary aims/fait accompli strategy aircraft alliance relationship alliance support ally American Arab Argentine arms Army asymmetric conflict asymmetric war asymmetric war initiations attrition Ayub Khan Bhutto Britain British China Chinese Cited Crisis deterrence theory Diplomacy diplomatic dispute domestic economic Egypt Egyptian engage especially expected factors fait accompli Falklands Falklands War favorable fight Fleet Foreign Policy Franks Committee guerrilla Heikal Ibid Imperial Japanese Navy India initiation by weaker International intervention invasion Islands Israel Israeli Japan Kashmir Korea Korean War launch leaders leadership limited aims/fait accompli London major Manchuria militarily military action naval Navy negotiations October operations opponent Pacific Pakistan Pearl Harbor Peng Dehuai personal interview plans position possessed pressure regime Russian Russo-Japanese Russo-Japanese War Sadat Sinai Sino-American Relations status quo strategic calculations stronger power superior surprise attack tactical territory theory troops University Press victory weaker initiator weaker powers World Politics York Zhou En-lai Zulfikar Ali Bhutto