The Impact of Leaders’ Military Experience on Third Party Military Interventions

• In Event: Forms of Foreign Intervention and its Consequences

Abstract

What influences national leaders’ decision to conduct a third-party intervention? This study uses quantitative analysis to evaluate the relationship between national leaders’ military-related experiences and their decision to intervene in another state’s intrastate conflicts. A powerful and violent experience such as participating in active combat can make people become more accepting of violence, risk-seeking, and in favor of using force. More specifically, it finds that leaders who have served in a national military, participated in actual combat, and been part of a rebel group are more likely to conduct a third-party intervention. By providing empirical evidence on the relationship between leaders’ experiences and third-party intervention, this study aims to better understand the role of national leaders’ as individuals in international security.

Author

• Phoebe Woorim Moon, University of California, Irvine