Forceful Persuasion Coercive Diplomacy as an Alternative to War

George examines under what circumstances the threat of force will achieve enough to obviate the need for force. He discusses seven cases of failure and success: U.S.-Japanese relations leading to Pearl Harbor; the Laos crisis of 1961-62; the Cuban missile crisis; the use of air power in Vietnam circa 1965; the Reagan Administration's use of coercive diplomacy against the Sandinistas' Nicaragua; U.S. coercive diplomacy against Libya in 1985-86; and the Persian Gulf crisis of 1990-91. George offers some interesting conclusions. Coercive diplomacy is more likely to work when the objective is clear; motivation is high; motivation is asymmetrical between threatener and threatened; both parties have some sense of urgency about resolving the conflict; adequate domestic and international support for coercive diplomacy exists; the target fears escalation more than capitulation; and clear settlement terms exist. ISBN 1-878379-14-3 (pbk.): $10.95.