| ID | 157364 |
| Title Proper | Military technology and the duration of civil conflict |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Sechser, Todd S ; Caverley, Jonathan D |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | Why do some civil conflicts end quickly, while others last for years? We argue that an incumbent government’s military forces play a crucial role in conflict duration. Specifically, combined arms militaries—which bring to bear a mixture of mechanized infantry, armor, and aircraft—make short conflicts more likely. The use of mechanized ground forces in combination with airpower increases the likelihood of decisive engagements early in a conflict, helping to mitigate information asymmetries that can drive violence. By contrast, less-mechanized forces face greater difficulty bringing the fight to the enemy. Combined arms militaries therefore tend to bring conflicts to more rapid conclusions. However, like maneuver warfare in conventional interstate conflict, these outcomes do not always favor incumbent governments. To test this argument, we employ new, detailed data on military mechanization and airpower from civil conflicts between 1967 and 2003. The results indicate that national militaries with high combined arms capabilities are associated with significantly shorter conflicts. Perhaps surprisingly, this relationship remains robust even when we limit the analysis to insurgencies. |
| `In' analytical Note | International Studies Quarterly Vol. 61, No.3; Sep 2017: p. 704–720 |
| Journal Source | International Studies Quarterly Vol: 61 No 3 |
| Key Words | Military Technology ; Duration of Civil Conflict |