Weapons of Will: Political Warfare and the Pursuit of Spheres of Influence

• In Event: Management Strategies in Great Power Politics

Abstract

This article analyzes how great powers use political warfare to influence the domestic politics of weaker states as part of an effort to establish or maintain regional hegemony. Towards that end, I first describe several covert information warfare tactics used by hegemons to strengthen and co-opt sympathetic politicians, marginalize and weaken potential rivals, and sway public opinion in targeted states. Next, I ask under what conditions are these efforts most likely to succeed. To illustrate these mechanisms, I conclude with a case study of American and Russian actions in Ukraine following the Cold War. I show that although each state has tried to influence Ukrainian domestic politics through different overt and covert mechanisms, their interventions share a common objective of trying to incorporate the state into their sphere of influence.

Author

• Lindsey O'Rourke, Boston College