Offense, Defense, and War

by Brown, Michael E.; Cote, Owen R.; Lynn-Jones, Sean M.; Miller, Steven E.

• ISBN13: 9780262523165
• ISBN10: 0262523167
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-10-15
• Publisher: The MIT Press

Summary

Offense-defense theory argues that the relative ease of offense and defense varies in international politics. When the offense has the advantage, military conquest becomes easier and war is more likely; the opposite is true when the defense has the advantage. The balance between offense and defense depends on geography, technology, and other factors. This theory, and the body of related theories, has generated much debate and research over the past twenty-five years. This book presents a comprehensive overview of offense-defense theory. It includes contending views on the theory and some of the most recent attempts to refine and test it.

Author Biography

Michael E. Brown is Dean of the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.

Owen Coté is Associate Director of the MIT Security Studies Program and Editor of the journal International Security.

Sean M. Lynn-Jones is Editor of International Security, the International Security Program's quarterly journal. He is also series editor of the Belfer Center Studies in International Security, the Program's book series that is published by MIT Press.

Steven E. Miller is director of the International Security Program at the Belfer Center.

Table of Contents

The Contributors	vii
Acknowledgments	ix
Preface	xi
Sean M. Lynn-Jones
PART I: FOUNDATIONS OF OFFENSE-DEFENSE THEORY
Cooperation Under the Security Dilemma	3	(48)
Robert Jervis
Offense and Defense in the International System	51	(18)
George H. Quester
PART II: OFFENSE, DEFENSE, AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR
The Cult of the Offensive and the Origins of the First World War	69	(50)
Stephen Van Evera
Civil-Military Relations and the Cult of the Offensive, 1914 and 1984	119	(39)
Jack Snyder
1914 Revisited: Allies, Offense, and Instability	158	(25)
Scott D. Sagan
Correspondence: The Origins of Offense and the Consequences of Counterforce	183	(12)
Jack Snyder
Scott D. Sagan
Technology, Military Advantage, and World War I: A Case of Military Entrepreneurship	195	(32)
Jonathan Shimshoni
PART III: OFFENSE-DEFENSE THEORY: THE CONTEMPORARY DEBATE
Offense, Defense, and the Causes of War	227	(39)
Stephen Van Evera
What Is the Offense-Defense Balance and Can We Measure It?	266	(39)
Charles L. Glaser
Chaim Kaufmann
Correspondence: Taking Offense at Offense-Defense Theory	305	(28)
James W. Davis, Jr.
Bernard I. Finel
Stacie E. Goddard
Stephen Van Evera
Charles L. Glaser
Chaim Kaufmann
Must War Find a Way? A Review Essay	333	(33)
Richard K. Betts
Grasping the Technological Peace: The Offense-Defense Balance and International Security	366	(34)
Keir A. Lieber
Attack and Conquer? International Anarchy and the Offense-Defense-Deterrence Balance	400	(39)
Karen Ruth Adams
Suggestions for Further Reading	439