Petro-Aggression
When Oil Causes War

This book offers new insight into why oil politics has a central role in global peace and conflict.

Jeff D. Colgan (Author)

9781107029675, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 31 January 2013

328 pages, 17 b/w illus. 15 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.61 kg

'Resource wars, including coverage of struggles over access to oil, have been the focus of many studies in recent years. This book, however, features a different angle: countries that produce significant amounts of oil that do not act aggressively to enhance their oil supplies, but instead instigate interstate wars … Recommended. Professional collections.' A. Klinghoffer, Choice

Oil is the world's single most important commodity and its political effects are pervasive. Jeff D. Colgan extends the idea of the resource curse into the realm of international relations, exploring how countries form their foreign policy preferences and intentions. Why are some but not all oil-exporting 'petrostates' aggressive? To answer this question, a theory of aggressive foreign policy preferences is developed and then tested, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Petro-Aggression shows that oil creates incentives that increase a petrostate's aggression, but also incentives for the opposite. The net effect depends critically on its domestic politics, especially the preferences of its leader. Revolutionary leaders are especially significant. Using case studies including Iraq, Iran, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, this book offers new insight into why oil politics has a central role in global peace and conflict.

1. Introduction
2. A theory of oil, revolution, and conflict
3. Evidence and research design
4. Quantitative impact of oil and revolution on conflict
5. Iraq
6. Libya and the Arab Jamahiriyya
7. Iran
8. Venezuela and the Bolivarian revolution
9. Saudi Arabia
10. Does oil cause revolution?
11. Conclusion and policy implications.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS], Comparative politics [JPB]