The Origin and Prevention of Major Wars

In this volume a distinguished group of political scientists and historians examine the origins of major wars and discuss the problems in preventing a nuclear war.

Robert I. Rotberg (Edited by), Theodore K. Rabb (Edited by), Robert Gilpin (Contributions by), John F. Guilmartin (Contributions by), Myron P. Gutmann (Contributions by), Jeffrey L. Hughes (Contributions by), Robert Jervis (Contributions by), Jack S. Levy (Contributions by), Charles S. Maier (Contributions by), Bruce Bueno de Mesquita (Contributions by), Joseph S. Nye (Contributions by), George H. Quester (Contributions by), Gunther E. Rothenberg (Contributions by), Scott D. Sagan (Contributions by), Kenneth N. Waltz (Contributions by), Samuel R. Williamson (Contributions by)

9780521379557, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 24 February 1989

360 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.531 kg

Since the development of the modern state system in Europe four centuries ago, there have been ten general wars involving a majority of the major powers and a high level of casualties. Another major war is difficult to conceive of, since it would presumably be the last such conflict, and yet it is not an impossibility. In this volume a distinguished group of political scientists and historians examine the origins of major wars and discuss the problems in preventing a nuclear war.

Introduction: 1. Old wars and future wars: causation and prevention Joseph S. Nye, Jr
Part I. The Origins of War: Structural Theories: 2. The theory of hegemonic war Robert Gilpin
3. The origins of war in neorealist theory Kenneth N. Waltz
4. The contribution of expected utility theory to the study of international conflict Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
Part II. The Origins of War: Explanation of Non-rational Causality: 5. Domestic politics and war Jack S. Levy
6. War and misperception Robert Jervis
7. Crises and the unexpected George H. Quester
Part III. Lessons and Analogies from Early Major Wars: 8. Ideology and conflict: the wars of the Ottoman Empire 1453–1606 John F. Guilmartin, Jr
9. The origins of the thirty years' war Myron P. Gutmann
10. The origins, causes and extension of the wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon Gunther E. Rothenberg
Part IV. Lessons and Analogies from the World Wars: 11. The origins of World War I Samuel R. Williamson, Jr
12. Wargames: 1914–1919 Charles S. Maier
13. The Origins of World War II in Europe: British deterrence failure and German expansionism Jeffrey L. Hughes
14. The origins of the Pacific War Scott D. Sagan.

Subject Areas: General & world history [HBG]