To avoid war, one must first understand its causes. Written by two widely respected scholars - both former Presidents of the International Studies Association - this text provides a comprehensive analysis of the leading theories of both interstate war and civil war, along with a discussion of the changing nature of war over time. Utilizing historical examples throughout and adopting a modified "levels-of-analysis" organizational framework, the authors cover systemic, interactional, state and societal level, and decision-making theories of interstate war. These are contrasted with an examination of the conditions and processes leading to civil war.
Scholarly and insightful, Causes of War offers a detailed examination of the sources of conflict between and within states and their implications for the future of international relations.