Dr. Jonas J. Driedger

Research Associate

What drives war and peace between great powers and adjacent states?

The deadliest and most de­stabilizing wars in history all developed from initial clashes between the world’s most formida­ble military powers and their much weaker neighbors (e.g. Austria-Hungary vs. Serbia in 1914). Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the looming war threat be­tween China and Taiwan highlight the endu­ring need for a systema­tic and well-grounded under­standing of military conflict between un­equal neighbors. I identify how un­equal neighbors differ from other state pairs in inter­national politics, systematize patterns of war and peace between them, and trace the causes of these patterns.

Research Area Forms: 1.1 Findings on the Forms, Causes and Consequences of Political Violence

Research Area Synergies: 4.3 Pacification or Transformation?