Essays

The Fall of the Contras: Why Nicaragua’s Rebel Forces Failed

Emilie Duns • Jan 20 2025 • Essays

The Contra insurgency in Nicaragua failed due to inadequate external support, insufficient military capabilities, and a lack of civilian support.

Explaining Chinese Inaction in the Red Sea Crisis: A Foreign Policy Analysis

Natalia Kearney Fang • Jan 14 2025 • Essays

China’s policy stems from its rivalry with the US and desire to act as an independent mediator in the Middle East, as well as Xi’s operational code and public opinion.

Between Destiny and Diplomacy: American Exceptionalism Evolution Post-Cold War

Felipe de Souza • Jan 6 2025 • Essays

American exceptionalism is not merely a static belief but a driving force in the evolution of U.S. foreign policy.

A Decade of Belt and Road Initiative: China’s Motivations and India’s Suspicions

Nitin Menon • Dec 26 2024 • Essays

The divide stems from China and India’s respective national interests: China seeks greater global influence, while India deems BRI a looming threat to its sovereignty.

Between Hegemony and Harmony: Unpacking Russia’s Dual Strategy in the Arctic

Sara Seppanen • Dec 23 2024 • Essays

Incorporating a Constructivist lens and examining Strategic Culture is more useful in understanding Russia’s dual approach in the Arctic.

Feminist Approaches to International Relations: ‘Good Girls’ Only?

Dominika Remžová • Dec 22 2024 • Essays

Feminist approaches in IR reveal a division between positivist ‘good girl’ theories and post-positivist ‘bad girl’ theories, with the former dominating global IR.

Political Violence and Terrorism in Cyberspace

Mariano Varesano • Dec 18 2024 • Essays

Cyberspace offers the potential for asymmetric political violence, but the paradox of anonymity and technical difficulties have precluded an actual cyberterrorist attack.

Everyday Insecurity in Gaza: Experiencing Blockade, Displacement and Panopticism

Nicholas McGrath • Dec 12 2024 • Essays

Violence in both war and colonialism occurs in everyday administration via persistent technologies and the slow violence of caloric, infrastructural, and spatial control.

European Strategic Autonomy: How Realism Best Explains Why It Remains a Failure

Simon Rio • Dec 3 2024 • Essays

European states only support aspects of ESA that serve their objective interests—such as economic and security concerns—which are not produced by any strategic culture.

Neoliberalism and the Sovereignty of the Global South

Jyotir Sondhi • Nov 30 2024 • Essays

The neoliberal project has used sovereignty as a mechanism for producing and protecting class relations that favour the global capitalist elite.

Please Consider Donating

Before you download your free e-book, please consider donating to support open access publishing.

E-IR is an independent non-profit publisher run by an all volunteer team. Your donations allow us to invest in new open access titles and pay our bandwidth bills to ensure we keep our existing titles free to view. Any amount, in any currency, is appreciated. Many thanks!

Donations are voluntary and not required to download the e-book - your link to download is below.