When the stakes are high

the long version

"The author has created a unique, unified approach to the topic by integrating a number of factors previously trated in isolation in different subfields of international studies. When the Stake Are High, therefore, fits research interests ranging from general international relations theory to the specific fields of international conflict, deterrence, causes of wars, great power behavior, and geopolitics."--Jacket. "The most precarious and quite common form of dispute between major powers arises over third nations. When the Stakes Are High focuses primarily on extended deterrence, in which one side attempts to prevent another side from initiating or escalating conflict with a third nation. Vesna Danilovic addresses three central questions in a critical examination of the scholarly literature in strategic studies: When is extended deterrence likely to be effective? What happens if deterrence fails? In what circumstances is war likely to result from a deterrence failure? The result is a new understanding of the dynamics of deterrence and conflict between major powers."