Human Nature and the Causes of War

What are the causes of war? Wars are usually initiated by a revisionist state seeking to take territory. The psychological root of revisionism is the yearning for glory, honor and power. Human nature is the primary cause of war, but political regimes can temper or intensify these passions. This book examines the effects of six types of regime on foreign policy: monarchy, republic and sultanistic, charismatic, and military and totalitarian dictatorship. Dictatorships encourage and unleash human ambition, and are thus the governments most likely to begin ill-considered wars. Rather than neo-realism, classical realism, modified to incorporate the impact of regimes and beliefs, provides a more convincing explanation of the causes of war and better guide to policy.