Internal Constraints and Interstate Ethnic Conflict

Two theoretical orientations, the instrumental and affective, have purported to explain interstate ethnic conflict. This investigation provides an initial assessment of the ability of affective motivations to account for properties of international crises. The point of departure is a review of literature on international aspects of ethnic conflict. This exercise provides a context for comparison of the traits of irredentist and nonirredentist foreign policy crises. International Crisis Behavior Project data from 1945 to 1988 are used to test three propositions about this important type of interstate conflict. Initial results are favorable: crises within irredentist conflicts differ from others with respect to perceived gravity of threat, crisis management techniques, and severity of violence. Two of the differences become greater when internal constraint on a crisis actor's regime is introduced as an interactive variable. The investigation concludes with suggestions for further research.