The sinews of strife: State infrastructure and interstate conflict, 1840--1993

This dissertation examines and provides evidence for the research question: How does infrastructure shape and influence international conflict? Chapter One begins by establishing that infrastructure is the internal network of a country that facilitates the conduct of various activities. Overall, there are six broad categories of infrastructure (transportation, communication, electrical, political, medical and sanitation, and maritime). The research in this dissertation will better improve our understanding of international conflict initiation, increase our knowledge about war outcomes, deepen the research into the role of technology in international relations, and expand our understanding of national capabilities.; Chapter Two presents a theoretical foundation for the examination of infrastructure. State leaders have a variety of goals that they want to achieve, and some of these goals involve international conflict. In order to achieve their goals, states possess capabilities which shape their probability of successfully achieving their respective goals. The primary focus of previous research has been on how broad national capabilities (CINC scores and GDP in particular) affect the probability of successfully completing the state's goals. However, Morgan and Palmer (1997) argue that technology is another approach to the achievement of state goals. Infrastructure is a form of technology that influences the ability of a state and its leadership to achieve its goals.; Chapter Three presents the first cross-national data set for transportation and communication infrastructure in order to statistically test the hypotheses set forth in the Theory Chapter. With this data, I then perform a number of tests to make a prima fascia case that this data is properly representing the states of the international system. Chapter Four uses this new data set measuring transportation and communication infrastructure to test the six hypotheses concerning the outcome of interstate wars. Chapter Five empirically examines the relationship between militarized interstate dispute initiation and transportation and communication infrastructure.; Chapter Six brings this project to a close by summarizing the empirical findings of this entire dissertation. The second section of this chapter discusses the important data set extensions necessary for this project's future. Third, this chapter talks about the large number of potential research questions that could be addressed with the data and theory presented in this dissertation. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...