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It was the principal textbook for a Causes of War class I took. It is very well-written. If you want to understand what really causes war and what people think causes war but doesn't, you should read this book. Blainey provides a great deal of evidence for the claims he makes and gives the arguments of the notions he disputes.
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12 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Mr. Blainy creates an interesting abacus paradigm, which he uses to explain why wars occur. Some of the factors, that are modeled as column on the abacus, are the perceived power of the antagonists, the perceived availability of allies, and a grab bag of 'other causes' such as distracting the populous from domestic concerns. These factors have different weight for different nations. Wars are caused when the sum of the factors for war exceed a certain threshold that can also vary from case to case.
One other interesting thought he inspects is the method in determining the causes of wars. Traditionally he argues the cause of war was determined by what goes on prior to the war. This is more difficult, because these factors are colored by the perceptions of the various actors, and often contain misconceptions. The true causes of war can be determined after the war, when the true war power of the combatants are revealed by the win/loss column
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He gives some good points that underline many conflicts. It is sometimes difficult to pull out what exactly he means, but when you find it most of the points are very good. He also presents empirical/statistical evidence for some of his cases along with numerous specific conflicts to further his point.
My only problem with the book was that he takes an opposing theory and finds one instance where the theory doesn't quite work and calls it dead. He then says presents his theory in the end and says it won't fit all situations. All in all, still a great read.
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This is one of the classic works in its field, and one with practical applications in international relations and national security. Blainey, a conservative social historian, writes one of the best non-ideological, empirically based analyses of why nation-states go to war -- and peace. Logically, the causes for going to war should be mirrored in the reasons why nations make peace at the end of war. Blainey explains why Kissinger's "balance of power" notions are not rules, or even guiding principles. For anyone majoring in international relations, and especially for anyone who wants to become a practitioner, this book is a must-read.
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