| ID | 113864 |
| Title Proper | When will non-democratic actors win a moral victory following highly costly military defeats? |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Honig, Or |
| Publication | 2012. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Following costly military defeats political elites usually attempt to persuade their publics that the battlefield outcome was not a shameful defeat but a 'moral victory'. Yet, only sometimes their public accepts these claims. The paper tries to explain this variation in the domestic publics' perceptions in the cases of non-democratic entities. It is argued that the key variable that determines actors' success in claiming a moral victory is the existence of certain battlefield elements, or at least symbolic military acts/achievements of the defeated actor which can persuade his public that these battlefield elements existed. Propaganda efforts to misrepresent the battlefield facts can play only a secondary role and only under certain conditions. |
| `In' analytical Note | Journal of Strategic Studies Vol. 35, No.3; Jun 2012: p.345-373 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Strategic Studies Vol. 35, No.3; Jun 2012: p.345-373 |
| Key Words | Defeat ; Moral Victory ; Arab - Israeli Conflict ; Regime Stability ; Arab – Israeli Conflict |