The intervention trap in a time of tumult

Abstract

ABSTRACTCivil wars with foreign intervention tend to be longer, bloodier and more intractable than other conflicts. Like the carnivorous Venus flytrap, which snaps shut on its unsuspecting prey before digesting them, intervening states can find themselves ensnared in intractable civil wars, a process colloquially referred to here as the “intervention trap.” This special issue investigates the causes and consequences of foreign intervention decision-making, building off an emerging scholars’ workshop held in Ottawa, Canada in 2016. The contributions from this growing network of intervention scholars were subjected to a multi-stage peer-review selection process. Nine papers by 10 authors were selected for the special issue based on their theoretical and methodological pluralism and subject-matter expertise. As civil conflicts and foreign interventions become more frequent and intense, this collection will complement the study and practice of military intervention in civil wars and ongoing conflicts around the world.