Missile Messages: Conflict Initiation, Employment Stratey, and Outcomes

The early 1990s saw a profusion of studies warning about the potential pitfalls of the diffusion of ballistic missile technology. In the nearly three decades since, however, the preponderance of articles, books, and conferences have been devoted to the topic of how states can insulate and protect against the proliferation of missiles. Academic research has been largely silent regarding the question that should logically precede such analyses-specifically, what is the relationship between ballistic missile possession and use of force in international conflicts? This dissertation will thus seek to answer three questions. First, does possession of conventionally armed ballistic missiles increase the likelihood that a state will use force? Second, what are the strategic rationales for employing missiles (or intentionally not employing them) in crises or conflicts? Third, does missile employment increase the likelihood of success in a crisis or conflict – i.e., what is the impact of missile use at both the tactical and strategic levels in terms of prevailing?

Author

• Blanc, Alexis A

Language

• en

Keyword

• strategy
• ballistic missiles
• conflict
• outcomes

Date created

• 2019

Type of Work

• Dissertation

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Political Science

Degree

• Ph.D.

Advisor

• Glaser, Charles
• Downes, Alexander

Committee Member(s)

• Lupu, Yonatan
• Lebovic, James
• Karp, Aaron

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/4x51hj707