Mixed Blessings: International Relationships of Assistance and Conflict

Who your friends are shapes who your enemies are and vice versa. Starting with this premise, Mixed Blessings takes up two related research questions: how does a state's relational web of security assistance (amity) influence its relationships of threat (enmity), and how does a state's relational web of enmity influence its relationships of amity? Drawing on theories of alliance politics and deterrence theory, Kyle Beardsley uncovers the causes and consequences of security assistance through quantitative examination of the networked and relational nature of international politics. Qualitative assessments of the end of the Cold War-with particular attention to the proxy wars in Central America and Southern Africa-and recent developments in the Indo-Pacific further illustrate the mechanisms in play while also seeding the ground for ongoing inquiry. The lessons learned from the analyses directly bear on questions of American statecraft and the collapsing liberal international order.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements; List of Abbreviations; 1. Introduction; 2. Making friends, making foes: a logic of relationship coevolution; 3. Somebody to lean on; 4. The mixed blessings of having friends; 5. Two to tango, more to mosh: interstate entangling relations and intrastate conflict management; 6. Network interplay in the Indo-Pacific; 7. Conclusions; Index.

About the Author :
Kyle Beardsley is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at Duke University. He is an award-winning author of over forty peer-reviewed articles. His books include The Mediation Dilemma (2011) and Equal Opportunity Peacekeeping (2017).

Review :
'Mixed Blessings captures a central tension in both theory and policy: the tradeoff between deterrence and provocation. Beardsley examines when U.S. security partnerships-particularly in Asia-enhance regional stability and when they risk encouraging more coercive behavior by China. This book advances a compelling alternative to the familiar choices of retrenchment or overextension, arguing instead for a more selective and strategic approach to deepening U.S. security ties.' Oriana Skylar Mastro, Center Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Policy Lab, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University 'Beardsley makes a major contribution to our understanding of the world of alliances, conflict and peacemaking. His networked model of relationships between the friends and enemies of conflict parties is based on major concepts and carefully constructed cases. This is a powerful cautionary tale about the downsides of 'hubristic interventionism'. Well managed networks are the key, Beardsley concludes.' Chester A. Crocker, Emeritus Professor of Strategic Studies, Georgetown University 'Mixed Blessings pushes us to think 'bigger'. Phenomena that are typically studied separately (security assistance, interstate threats, and civil war and its termination) are deeply interconnected, and a focus on just the protagonists is insufficient- interstate networks are key. This book's insights are profound not just for scholars but also practitioners committed to enhancing peace and stability.' Michaela Mattes, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley 'This book changes how we think about conflict and cooperation in world politics. Instead of treating wars and alliances as isolated dyads, it shows how countries' support ties, interstate threats and intrastate conflicts shape one another. Through network analysis and compelling case evidence drawn from across the globe, Kyle Beardsley demonstrates how well-intentioned support can backfire and why interest congruence in support ties matter for durable peace. The book represents a novel way of bringing together siloed fields of research, bridging research on alliance and deterrence with conflict resolution.' Isak Svensson, Dag Hammarskjöld Professor in Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University 'Drawing on network theory, Mixed Blessings argues convincingly that civil war is inextricably linked to patterns of interstate competition. Beardsley combines rich historical evidence with rigorous empirical models to show that while networks of external support sometimes deter adversaries, they can also raise suspicion, threaten rivals, and fuel internal violence in proxies. This timely book holds valuable lessons for anyone hoping to understand the complex tensions of contemporary global politics.' Brandon J. Kinne, Professor of Political Science, University of California, Davis