Strategic rivalries are contests between states that view one another as threatening competitors and treat each other as enemies. A disproportionate amount of interstate conflict is generated by a relatively small number of these pairs of states engaged in rivalries that can persist for years. Thus, to understand interstate peace and conflict, it is useful to know how rivalries work in general and more specifically. In the past two decades, a strenuous effort has been mounted to introduce the concept of rivalry and demonstrate its utility in unraveling conflict situations. Yet all rivalries are not exactly alike. We need to move to a more rewarding differentiation of how they differ in general. Principal rivalries are those antagonisms that are most significant to the decision makers in a state. The main distinction on issues about which rivals dispute are positional and spatial concerns. Positional rivalries contend over regional and global influence. Spatial rivals contend over which state deserves to control disputed territory. Interventionary rivalries predominate in sub-Saharan Africa. Their primary focus involves neighboring states attempting to influence who rules and how co-ethnics are treated.

This book updates the inventory of strategic rivalries from 1816 to 2020. Principal rivalries are identified for the first time and cover the same period. A theory stressing the two main types of rivalry (positional and spatial) is elaborated and tested. Regional variations on the origins and terminations of spatial rivalry are explored and interpreted. In addition, attention is paid to fluctuations in the intensity of positional rivalries by examining the working of the contemporary major power triangle (United States, Soviet Union/Russia, and China) and, more generally, the dynamics of regional power that are rising in terms of their relative capability and status in the system. Variations in cooperation and termination dynamics both in general andaccording to rivalry type are also examined. Overall, the emphases of the book are split between demonstrating the utility of distinguishing among rivalry types and examining selected rivalry dynamics.

Updates information about rivalries in global politics from 1816 to 2020 Demonstrates how rivalries differ by type and region Examines how various types of rivalry escalate and de-escalate

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William R. Thompson is Distinguished Professor and Rogers Chair of Political Science Emeritus at Indiana University and Editor-in-chief of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. He is a former President of the International Studies Association and twice Editor-in-Chief of International Studies Quarterly. Thomas J. Volgy is professor of political science at the University of Arizona and former director of the International Studies Association. He has published over 80 articles and books focused on interstate conflict, status issues in international politics, and comparative regional analysis. Paul Bezerra is an assistant professor of Military & Strategic Studies at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and previously worked as the National Security Affairs Postdoctoral Fellow at the U.S. Naval War College (2018). His research focuses on economic statecraft and corresponding patterns of political resistance and cooperation. Jacob Cramer is a Senior Researcher with RTI International, and previously worked as the Analysis Administrator for the Tucson Police Department. His research focuses on domestic and international extremism and policing. He earned his Ph.D., in political science from the School of Government and Public Policy at the University of Arizona in 2015. Kelly Gordell is a PhD candidate in political science at the University of Arizona, with emphasis in international relations. She holds an MA and BA in political science, also from UA. Her work focuses on domestic/international consequences of destabilizing events, as well as involvement by international communities in post-conflict conditions. Manjeet S. Pardesi is Senior Lecturer in the Political Science and International Relations Programme and Asia Research Fellow at the Centre for Strategic Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. Karen Rasler is Professor of Political Science Emerita at Indiana University. She was a member of three editing teams for International Studies Quarterly encompassing some parts of three decades. Her primary research interest focuses on processes of domestic political contention. Patrick Rhamey Jr. is associate professor in the Department of International Studies and Political Science at the Virginia Military Institute and serves on the board of the TransResearch Consortium. His publications include work on the behaviors of major and regional powers, comparative regionalism, and the international politics of sport. Kentaro Sakuwa is an associate professor of international politics at the School of International Politics, Economics, and Communication (SIPEC), Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, Japan. His research focuses on the causes of conflict and peace, especially from the regional, spatial, and network perspectives. Rachel Van Nostrand is a third-year PhD Student at the University of Arizona, studying International Relations and Research Methods. Her primary research interests include the spatial determinants of violence and post-conflict environments. Leila Zakhirova is Associate Professor of Political Science at Concordia College, Moorhead, MN. She is also a co-editor of Asian Security. She is currently researching the impact of climate change on human security.

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