Linking Border Disputes and War

An Institutional-Statist Theory

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3948827
AutoresJean-Marc F Blanchard, Jean‐marc F Blanchard (0000-0003-0793-3375, San Francisco State University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2005
Volumen10
Número4
Páginas688-711
Fecha de publicación2005-12-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaGeopolitics (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1465-0045 • E-ISSN: 1557-3028
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/14650040500318464
OpenAlexW1989005171
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas8
Referencias citadas18

Boundary disputes are among the most explosive international flashpoints. They frequently correlate with militarised interstate disputes and are more likely to lead to high intensity conflict than other kinds of frictions. Although analysts have been turning increasing attention to the topic of boundary tensions, significant knowledge gaps remain. We still do not know exactly what factors cause some border controversies to emerge or spur others to intensify to the point of war. One reason is that the existing literature has paid insufficient attention to the socially-constructed nature of boundaries. Another reason is that researchers have not adequately accounted for the causal import of domestic politics. Herein, I offer a novel, two variable explanation, which I term institutional-statist theory, to explain when border disputes will result in war. My theory stresses the functional value of the contested boundary as well as the disputants' level of stateness. I test the usefulness of my theory through a case study of the Indo-Pakistani boundary conflict between 1947 and 1965. My theory illuminates why war occurred in 1947/1948 and 1965, and why peace was obtained between the wars. In contrast, competing approaches have difficulty explaining the wars, their timing, or the peace between 1948 and 1965

Economics · International relations · International relations theory · Law and economics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Sociology · Cross-Border Cooperation and Integration · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies