Distant Friends and Intimate Enemies: Toward a New Theory of Intra-Alliance Fighting
Speaker: Vanes Ibric, Research Fellow, International Security Program
Why do countries with formal alliances engage in armed hostilities against one another? What motivates states to attack their allies? As evidenced by Italy's betrayal of the Central Powers in World War I or the border conflict between Soviet Union and China in 1969, countries with formal alliances have engaged in wars and militarized disputes. The speaker provides a new theoretical framework that distinguishes between alliances in which one state entered the alliance with a strong predisposition to attack its ally (i.e., premeditated fighting) and alliances in which fighting happens as a result of situational changes following the formation of the alliance (i.e., situational fighting).
Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.
