Elements of Deterrence

This is a very important book. It deserves serious consideration by strategic thinkers, military planners, international relations theorists, and scholars in the field of security studies. If you wonder what, if anything, new can be said about deterrence theory, think again. Remarkably, Gartzke and Lindsey have broken new ground in a field that has already been heavily plowed. Elements of Deterrence challenges much of the received wisdom on the subject, both theoretically and empirically. The end result is a much deeper and more nuanced understanding of how complex deterrence relationships operate in the emerging political and technological environment that will govern interstate relations for the foreseeable future. * Frank Zagare, University at Buffalo *
In a brilliant analysis of a world where grand strategy matters again, Gartzke and Lindsay show how deterrence strategy bundles means and ends and demonstrate how different means are specialized to achieve different ends. Integrated deterrence is impossible, they find, because all good things do not go together. Deterrence, they conclude, is the process of managing tensions among conflicting goals and complex instruments. Consequently, there is no 'right' way to combine means without a clear sense of preferred political ends. Their analysis is a must read for anyone interested in the big strategic challenges of the twenty-first century and the hard choices, not only among means but also among objectives, that lie ahead. * Janice Gross Stein, University of Toronto *
As policymakers and strategists grapple with the multifaceted challenges of an increasingly complex environment, Elements of Deterrence offers novel and invaluable insights. The book's detailed theoretical and empirical studies shed light on the delicate balance between "winning" conflicts, warning adversaries of costly repercussions, and demonstrating resolve in light of grand challenges. Critically, the authors uncover that deterrence, as a strategy, necessitates making tough choices as not all favorable outcomes can coexist. In a time when global security requires innovative and adaptive approaches, this book serves as an indispensable resource for understanding the evolving nature of deterrence and its vital role in shaping the future of international relations. * Rupal N. Mehta, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln *
Erik Gartzke and Jon Lindsay are among the world's leading scholars on emerging technology and international security, and, in this brilliant new book, they force us to rethink the fundamentals of deterrence theory for the 21st century. This is the authoritative scholarly work on 'integrated deterrence' and should be required reading for government officials and scholars alike. * Matthew Kroenig, Professor of Government and Foreign Service, Georgetown University *
In Elements of Deterrence, Erik Gartzke and Jon Lindsay provide a highly original and comprehensive theory of deterrence for the 21st century. They force scholars to recognize that the field's understanding of deterrence has been heavily shaped by the Cold War-era nuclear competition. In fact, they argue deterrence is a broader basket of policies and objectives that includes coercion, defense, accommodation, and deception. They argue that there are tradeoffs among these goals. * Matthew Kroenig, Journal of Peace Research *