Coercion, Survival, and War: Why Weak States Resist the United States 1st Edition

by Phil Haun (Author)

2 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0804792837

ISBN-10: 0804792836

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In asymmetric interstate conflicts, great powers have the capability to coerce weak states by threatening their survival―but not vice versa. It is therefore the great power that decides whether to escalate a conflict into a crisis by adopting a coercive strategy.

In practice, however, the coercive strategies of the U.S. have frequently failed. In Coercion, Survival and War Phil Haun chronicles 30 asymmetric interstate crises involving the US from 1918 to 2003. The U.S. chose coercive strategies in 23 of these cases, but coercion failed half of the time: most often because the more powerful U.S. made demands that threatened the very survival of the weak state, causing it to resist as long as it had the means to do so. It is an unfortunate paradox Haun notes that, where the U.S. may prefer brute force to coercion, these power asymmetries may well lead it to first attempt coercive strategies that are expected to fail in order to justify the war it desires.

He concludes that, when coercion is preferred to brute force there are clear limits as to what can be demanded. In such cases, he suggests, U.S. policymakers can improve the chances of success by matching appropriate threats to demands, by including other great powers in the coercive process, and by reducing a weak state leader's reputational costs by giving him or her face-saving options.

Editorial Reviews

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"Why do U.S. efforts to coerce weak states work only half the time? Why does a particular form of coercion called coercive diplomacy fail two thirds of the time? Why do the weak resist in the face of overwhelming U.S. power? In this fine study, Phil Haun develops a novel theory of asymmetric coercion and answers these important questions." (Robert Art, Herter Professor of International Relations Brandeis University)

About the Author

Phil M. Haun is Professor of Aerospace Studies at Yale University and a Colonel in the U.S. Air Force.

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Stanford Security Studies; 1 edition (July 1, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0804792836
ISBN-13: 978-0804792837
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Customer Reviews: 2 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,268,876 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #3969 in International Relations (Books)
- #4646 in Military Strategy History (Books)
- #4396 in National & International Security (Books)

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Sid

Five Stars

May 27, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Good explanation of coercion, as well as alternative theory and practical applications over time.

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Radway

Well-founded but uninteresting conclusions

November 19, 2015

Format: Hardcover

Haun's book is a solid addition to the literature on coercion and asks an interesting and important question. And the basic logic is sound. If compliance with a coercive demand will lead to the destruction of the target state, than the target state has little incentive to avoid war by acquiescing to the demand. But Haun exaggerates the extent to which US coercive demands threatened the "survival" of target states. State death is an extremely rare occurrence. Of course no state is likely to be happy with a reduction in its military capability and corresponding decrease in security, but this is not the same as truly fearing for survival. So, Haun's overall analysis is a little shaky and unconvincing in this regard. Further, the author's conclusions are more or less a rehashing of the conventional wisdom on coercion. Haun's assertion that coercion is more likely to succeed if the coercing power does not ask for too much and also allows for the target state to save face is well-founded. But that is essentially coercion 101 - he is not offering us anything new. Coercion scholars ranging from Alexander George to Daniel Byman to Thomas Schelling proffered the same arguments and conclusions years ago. In sum, this a well written book that offers solid conclusions, but it does little to advance the existing literature or expand our understanding of military coercion.

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Coercion, Survival, and War: Why Weak States Resist the United States 1st Edition

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