How the United States can use force short of war

In their new book “Military Coercion and US Foreign Policy,” co-authors and Stimson Center experts Barry Blechman, James Siebens, and Melanie Sisson argue that during the Cold War, U.S. efforts to coerce other states using non-violent methods short of war failed as often as they succeeded. But unlike the Soviet Union, whose economy was stagnant and technology behind the West, in the coming years, the United States must contend with far more capable competitor powers. The book generates insight into how the U.S. military can be used to achieve policy goals. Specifically, it provides guidance about the ways in which, and the conditions under which, U.S. armed forces can work in concert with economic and diplomatic elements of U.S. power to create effective coercive strategies.

On August 19, Brookings Senior Fellow and Director of Research for Foreign Policy Michael O’Hanlon hosted Sisson and Blechman for a discussion on the book’s themes, as well as options for defense policymakers as they plan for the future of war in an era of great power competition.

Questions from the audience will follow the discussion. Viewers can submit questions via email to [email protected] or on Twitter using #FutureOfWar.