The Race with No Finish Line: Assessing the Strategy of Regional Great Power Competition
Abstract
The Race with No Finish Line offers a framework for understanding the strategies of states engaged in competition for regional hegemony. Drawing on a variety of strategic literature, this book synthesizes a theoretical approach to analyzing the strategies of these states. Martin Skold argues for an essentially asymmetric understanding of fundamental policy goals for states engaged in competition for control of a region of the globe, with one state attempting to maintain a dominant position and another attempting, by focusing limited resources, to supplant it. This competition is understood metaphorically, based on an anecdote from the end of the Cold War, as a race with no finish line, with the reigning hegemon attempting to extend the race beyond the challengers endurance and the challenger attempting to create a finish line and cross it. This book lays the groundwork not only for more rigorous inquiry into the strategic decision-making of states in past competitive scenarios but also for analysis of current competitions for influence and control in numerous regions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 05, 2023
- Accession Number
- AD1225705
Entities
People
- Martin Skold
Organizations
- Marine Corps University