Limit this search to....

United We Stand?: Divide-And-Conquer Politics and the Logic of International Hostility
Contributor(s): Belkin, Aaron (Author)
ISBN: 0791463435     ISBN-13: 9780791463437
Publisher: State University of New York Press
OUR PRICE:   $94.05  
Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats
Published: February 2005
Qty:
Temporarily out of stock - Will ship within 2 to 5 weeks
Annotation: 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. "Belkin addresses an underexplained source of international conflict and does a persuasive job of turning widely accepted truisms on their heads. His basic argument is important, cleary presented, and well supported." --" Paul N. Stockton, coeditor of "Reconstituting America's Defense: The New U.S. National Security Strategy
Additional Information
BISAC Categories:
- Political Science | International Relations - General
- Political Science | Security (national & International)
- Social Science | Sociology - General
Dewey: 327.16
LCCN: 2004045270
Series: Suny Global Politics
Physical Information: 0.65" H x 6.44" W x 9.36" (0.80 lbs) 171 pages
 
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
Publisher Description:
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.