Minimalist strategy: Conflict delegation and proxy use on transparent battlefields

Abstract

This article examines contemporary proxy war literature, highlighting a distinguishable pattern in the post-9/11 era. The Deniability Strategy, characterized by indirect intervention and plausible deniability, is juxtaposed with the emerging Minimalist Strategy, which emphasizes transparent state involvement using in-lieu-of actors (ILOA) as proxies. The Minimalist Strategy accounts for modern military and information technology, which reduces the effectiveness of non-attributional tactics. The article identifies three infra-strategies within the Minimalist Strategy: Auxiliary, Replacement, and Front Strategies, each serving different state needs in conflict. Through analysis of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the article demonstrates the viability of the Minimalist Strategy and its implications for future proxy wars, offering a complementary framework to enhance existing scholarship.