Offense defense and the causes of war pdf

This book is an excellent overview of the united states involvement in its wars. The offensivedefensive balance of military technology. Given the small number of studies that have attempted to test offensedefense theory empirically, this work offers valuable. Offense, defense, and war edited by michael brown, owen cote, sean lynn jones, and. Slayton makes the point that that second key frame from the offensedefense balance, the issue of efficacy, explicitly includes the payoff of successful offense 82. Defense, peace, and war economics by christopher j. When the offense has the advantage, military conquest becomes easier and war is more likely.

In his article offense, defense, and the causes of war, stephen van evera claims that offense defense theory is important, has wide explanatory range wide realworld applicability large prescriptive utility and is quite satisfying p. Offensedefense theory argues that the relative ease of offense and defense varies in international politics. Offense, defense, and war international security readers. European powers world war i military organizations. Offense, defense, and the causes of war, international security, 22 spring, 1998. Oct 15, 2004 offense defense theory argues that the relative ease of offense and defense varies in international politics. The relative ease of attack and defensethe offense. Even highly successful defensive air campaigns such as the world war ii battle of britain were based upon selective offensive engagements.

Offense, defense, and the causes of war stanford university. Van evera argues that war is more likely when conquest is relatively easy, and that shifts in the offensedefense balance have a large effect on the risk of war. Offense, defense, and the causes of war created date. The shifts in the offensedefense balance can be either real or perceived, but shifts will affect the likelihood of war. I argue that war is far more likely when conquest is easy, and that shifts in the offense defense balance have a large effect on the risk of war. Military factors military technology changes ease of acquiringimproving capacity for offense or defense. Offense, defense, and the causes of war mit press journals. Robert jervis, offense, defense, and the security dilemma. A major point of contention is the difficulty states face in accurately assessing the offense defense balance. War will be more common in periods when conquest is easy, or is believed to be easy, than in other periods. Steven van evera, offense, defense, and the causes of war. A major point of contention is the difficulty states face in accurately assessing the offensedefense balance. The relative ease of attack and defensethe offensedefense balanceis a widely used planatory concept in international politics, playing an important role in literatures ranging from war causation and alliance formation to the determinants of system structure, the importance of relative gains from cooperation, or the causes of world war i. I then discuss the rise of a distinct and systematic defense, peace, and war economics field of study starting in the 1960s.

Stephen biddle, rebuilding the foundation of offensedefense theory, journal of politics, vol. Occasionally, skeptics of just war theory will also, for satirical effect, cite instances from the classical literature of causes for war that are now rejected but were once widely accepted as just, such as the punishment of wrongdoing and the spread of the christian religion. The offensedefense balance and war since 1648 james d. Military factors military technology changes ease of acquiringimproving capacity for offense or defense defense technologies. For a comprehensive discussion of how offensive and defensive advantages affect the probability of war, see van evera, causes of war, vol. In his article offense, defense, and the causes of war, stephen van evera claims that offensedefense theory is important, has wide explanatory range wide realworld applicability large prescriptive utility and is quite satisfying p. This invites opportunistic expansion even by temperate powers. This is because of wars uncertainty and because at a more basic level, the military equipment used to wage war is inherently ambiguous. The relative ease of attack and defense the offense defense balanceis a widely used planatory concept in international politics, playing an important role in literatures ranging from war causation and alliance formation to the determinants of system structure, the importance of relative gains from cooperation, or the causes of world war i. Historians often characterize a particular era as favoring the offense or the defense, and theorists often hypothesize that technology favoring the offense increases the likelihood of war or contributes to empirebuilding. Power and the roots of conflict, van evera proposed offense defense theory, which attempts to discern what factors increase the likelihood of war. A summary is the assigned reading by sve, offense defense theory in a nutshell. Offense, defense, and international politics by charles l. War will be more common in periods when conquest is easy or believed to be easy 2.

Written clearly, concisely and objectively, it provides excellent insights into the people and events covered. Taking offense at offensedefense theory semantic scholar. Taking offense at offense defense theory, international security, vol. The fourth section frames predictions that can be inferred from offensedefense. Offensedefense theory, essentially based on the idea that war is more likely when conquest is easy, holds a prominent position in international relations theory. Offense defense theory argues that the relative ease of offense and defense varies in international politics. States that have or believe they have large offensive opportunities or defensive vulnerabilities will. Jervis presents two variables, offense defense balance and offense defense differentiation, which characterised 4 possible worlds to show how security dilemma is affected. In a more recent article, van evera asserts that offensive advantages have been. This is because of war s uncertainty and because at a more basic level, the military equipment used to wage war is inherently ambiguous. Offensedefense theory offers an optimistic view of international politics based on the argument that war can be prevented if defense gains an advantage over offense. In so doing, offensedefense theory explains the dangers that these war causes produce and the wars they cause. Jervis presents two variables, offensedefense balance and offensedefense differentiation, which characterised 4 possible worlds to show how security dilemma is affected.

They label the myriad causes and effects of their extreme faith in offense over defense in spite of contrary evidence the cult or ideology of the offensive. A reply to articles by james davis, bernard finel and stacey goddard in the same issue of is. Offense, defense, and the causes of civil war recurrence. In so doing, offense defense theory explains the dangers that these war causes produce and the wars they cause. Reference should be made to article 3 of the mccp, which discusses the creation of separate court structures in greater detail. Taking offense at offensedefense theory, international security, vol. However, the theory assumes in support of its main argument that wars are shorter when offense has the advantage. Rebuilding the foundations of offensedefense theory the. The actual offensedefense balance has marked effects. War i, ted hopf has compared european warfare in the periods 14951521 and 152159, arguing that the roughly constant frequency of war across periods is better explained by lack of variation in the o. The primacy of politics over technology 9780801474873. Ten war causeing effects arise when the offense dominates. Ten warcauseing effects arise when the offense dominates. They corroborate offensedefense theory2 and indicate that it has large theoretical importance.

Stephen van evera, offense, defense, and the causes of. Despite the narrow version of offensedefense theory used, war and the engineers provides an important empirical test of the core assumptions of the theory and, thus, is an important contribution to the literature. He then proposes that war is more likely during times of offense dominance. Dec 15, 2011 i argue that war is far more likely when conquest is easy, and that shifts in the offense defense balance have a large effect on the risk of war. First, his reformulation of influential arguments made prominent by robert jervis. Offense, defense, and the causes of war i 7 windows of opportunity and vulnerability, faits accomplis, negotiation failure, secrecy, arms races, and offense dominance itself that were once thought to be independent. Gideon akavia center for military analyses, israel. Stephen van evera, offense, defense, and the causes of war. The effect of external military support on peace duration abstract previous literature addressing the phenomenon of civil war recurrence has examined the domestic sources of recurring civil wars, but has not adequately assessed the impact of external military support on civil war recurrence. The shifts in the offense defense balance can be either real or perceived, but shifts will affect the likelihood of war.

An overview of offense defense theory, which argues that the relative ease of offense and defense varies in international politics. Offense dominance position is hard to escape and leads to a downward spiral, and its the same effect for when offense is weak but others perceive it to be strong. What is the offensedefense balance and can we measure it. Offense, defense, and the causes of war, international security, vol. Offensedefense theory analysis of russian cyber capability. The balance between offense and defense depends on geography, technology, and other. Offensedefense theory and the absence of war on the korean.

The offensedefense balance and war since 1648 stanford. This element surveys the field of defense, peace, and war economics with particular emphasis on the contributions made by austrian economists. A security dilemma is a situation where the actions taken by a state to increase its own security cause reactions from other states, which leads to a decrease rather than an increase in the state. War in which a side attacks to forestall what it sees as an impending attack on itself happened only 3 times since 1816. Offensedefense balance, war duration, and the security. While defense may be dictated by the combat situation, success in war is generally attained only while on the offensive. Nevertheless, this leaves unclear what sort of challenge might be made by alliances of lesser states. The systemic offensedefense theory argues that the security dilemma and the risk of war become doubly severe in offensedominant eras in the state system. Glaser and chaim kaufmann offensedefense theory offers an optimistic view of international politics based on the argument that war can be prevented if defense gains an advantage over offense. The net offensedefense balance is an aggregate of these military, geographic, social, and diplomatic factors. An overview of offensedefense theory, which argues that the relative ease of offense and defense varies in international politics.

Though slighted or ignored by many realists, offensedefense theory is the most powerful and useful realist theory on the causes of war if recast as the theory of perceptionwar is more likely when governments believe conquest is easyit becomes even stronger and offers a potent explanation for much modern war. It also argues that an effective arms control can reduce the risk of arms races and war. I argue that war is far more likely when conquest is easy, and that shifts in the offensedefense balance have a large effect on the risk of war. The next section outlines offensedefense theorys ten explanations for war. Though slighted or ignored by many realists, offensedefense theory is the most powerful and useful realist theory on the causes of war. Offensedefense theory and its critics division of social sciences. Offense, defense, and the causes of war international. Steven van evera, offense, defense, and the causes of war, international security spring, 1998, pp. Power and the roots of conflict, van evera proposed offensedefense theory, which attempts to discern what factors increase the likelihood of war. Wednesday, 17sep2008 van evera, stephen offense, defense, and th. Offensedefense theory contends that technological change is an important cause of conflict. Kingman road, fort belvoir, va 220606218 1800caldtic 18002253842.