United we stand? : divide-and-conquer politics and the logic of international hostility / Aaron Belkin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Belkin, Aaron, 1966-

Series:

SUNY series in global politics.

SUNY series in global politics

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

International relations.

Conflict management.

World politics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (172 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2005.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

It has long been assumed that leaders engage in international conflict to unify their followers—what is often called the "rally 'round the flag" hypothesis. Despite its intuitive appeal, however, this hypothesis does not always provide a compelling explanation of the relationship between domestic politics and international conflict. In United We Stand? Aaron Belkin shows that in one important realm, civil-military relations, leaders often prefer divisiveness over cohesion. When they feel domestically vulnerable, leaders use international conflict in order to create and exacerbate rivalries among their own military forces to lower the risk of a coup and to contribute to the consolidation and stability of the political order. Case studies include post-Soviet Georgia and Syria.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Regime Vulnerability and International Conflict

Theory

Coup Risk and Military Division: Hostility within the Armed Forces and Regime Survival

A Theory of Counterbalancing as a Cause of International Conflict

Data

Regime Vulnerability, Counterbalancing, and International Conflict during the Cold War: A Quantitative Analysis

Regime Vulnerability as a Cause of Counterbalancing in Syria in the Early 1970s

When Dividing the Military Provides an Incentive for Conflict: Fragmented Military Forces and International Conflict in Shevardnadze’s Georgia

Conclusion

Notes

References

Index

SUNY series in Global Politics

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 131-156) and index.

ISBN:

9780791483787

0791483789

9781423743781

1423743784

OCLC:

76786420