Wedge strategy (diplomacy)

Not to be confused with Wedge strategy.

Wedge strategies in diplomacy are used to prevent, divide, and weaken an adversary coalition.[1][2] Wedge strategies can take the shape of reward-based or coercive-based.[3] Alignment abnormalities can arise because of wedge strategies.[4]

Wedge strategies may be a subset or similar to Divide and rule strategies, however, there may be a slight optical difference. With the divide and rule strategy, there is a clear winner, whereas with the wedge strategy, attention is not focused on the winner but instead against the discredited coalition.

  1. ^ Crawford, Timothy W. (2021). The Power to Divide: Wedge Strategies in Great Power Competition. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-1-5017-5471-5. JSTOR 10.7591/j.ctv12sdwfh.
  2. ^ Crawford, Timothy W.; Vu, Khang X. (2021-10-25). "Arms Control as Wedge Strategy: How Arms Limitation Deals Divide Alliances". International Security. 46 (2): 91–129. doi:10.1162/isec_a_00420. ISSN 0162-2889. S2CID 239770379.
  3. ^ Izumikawa, Yasuhiro (2013). "To Coerce or Reward? Theorizing Wedge Strategies in Alliance Politics". Security Studies. 22 (3): 498–531. doi:10.1080/09636412.2013.816121. S2CID 145511562.
  4. ^ Crawford, Timothy (2008). "Wedge Strategy, Balancing, and the Deviant Case of Spain, 1940–41". Security Studies. 17 (1): 1–38. doi:10.1080/09636410801894126. S2CID 145192143.