The international system and the Syrian civil war

Bibliographic Data

ID4444909
AuthorsC Phillips (0000-0003-3881-9823, Queen Mary University of London, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume36
Issue3
Pages358-381
Publication date2022-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Relations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0047-1178 • E-ISSN: 1741-2862
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/00471178221097908
OpenAlexW4281401861
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited26

How does the international system impact a civil war? Does polarity affect the war's outbreak, character and how long it lasts? Systemic Realists argue multipolarity makes inter-state war more likely, but is this also true of intra-state war? Using the Syria conflict (2011-present) as a case study, this article suggests a connection can be found. It argues that the end of US-dominated unipolarity, and its interaction with a new multipolarity in the Middle East region impacted the behaviour and calculations of foreign states involved, contributing to the outbreak of war and how it progressed. The same interacting multipolarity paradoxically also shaped Russia's decision to intervene in 2015, ultimately edging the war towards a conclusion, something that Systemic Realists would not expect. This study of the systemic effects in the Syria conflict suggests that the Neo-Realist concept of polarity continues to have relevance and can be useful in understanding intra- as well as inter-state conflict. It points to the importance of the interaction between regional and global systems in generating these effects, and it suggests a reconsideration of the Neo-Realist view that multipolarity always makes wars harder to end

Affect (linguistics) · Development economics · Economics · International conflict · International relations · Middle East · Polarity (international relations) · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Relevance (law) · Sociology · Spanish Civil War · State (computer science) · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · Political Conflict and Governance