1st Edition

The Onset of World War (Routledge Revivals)

By Manus I. Midlarsky Copyright 1988
    286 Pages
    by Routledge

    286 Pages
    by Routledge

    First published in 1988, this historical and quantitative analysis of war defines systemic world wars as conflicts of wide scope and intensity, which leave profound historical legacies in their wake. Manus Midlarsky examines various possible explanations for the onset of such past wars as the Peloponnesian War, the Thirty Years’ War, and World Wars I and II. Midlarsky develops his basic theory of systemic war, outlining the reasons for the absence of wars of this magnitude and describing the violations of certain structural conditions that are associated with the onset of world war.

    A timely and relevant reissue, this insightful analysis will be of particular value to those with an interest in International Relations, War and Peace Studies, Military History, and Security Studies.

    List of Tables;  List of Figures;  Acknowledgements;  1. Introduction  2. A Hierarchical Equilibrium  3. The Long-Run Instability of Multipolar Systems  4. A Distribution of Extreme in Inequality  5. Conflict Overlap in Systemic Wars  6. The Balance of Power, Preponderance, and the Onset of War in Polarized Settings  7. Structural and Mobilization Wars  8. A Comparison between Two Systemic Wars  9. Alliance Durability  10. Normative Justifications  11. Conclusion: International Structure as an Information System;  Mathematical Appendix A;  Mathematical Appendix B;   Tabular Appendix A;  Tabular Appendix B;  Tabular Appendix C;  Bibliography;  About the Author;  Index

    Biography

    Manus I. Midlarsky