Untying the Knot of War: A Bargaining Theory of International Crises

This book utilizes formal, spatial voting models and game-theoretic techniques to examine why certain international crises erupt into all-out wars while others resolve peacefully through diplomacy. Operating on the premise that a crisis always precedes war, Morgan develops original mathematical frameworks to show how crisis outcomes are fundamentally dictated by the specific characteristics of the bargainers, the multi-dimensional nature of the disputed issues, and the vital interventions of third-party negotiators and agenda setters. By illustrating these formal equations with historical cases, the text moves beyond rigid security-maximization arguments, providing international relations scholars with a robust, predictive framework for conflict resolution and crisis bargaining.