Chiara Boldrini
This project investigates the concept of coercion in international relations, exploring how strategic culture influences states' coercive postures. Coercion, broadly defined as the use of threats or pressure to influence state behavior, includes tools such as military threats, economic sanctions, and cyber operations. Despite the frequent use of these tools, coercive strategies and their effectiveness vary significantly across different strategic communities
The central research question is: what factors drive a state's choice of coercive posture? This dissertation develops a theoretical and analytical framework that posits strategic culture as a key factor explaining variations in coercive behavior across and within states.
Looking at three case studies - Russia, Turkey, and India - from 2000 to 2019, the dissertation applies this framework to analyze how each state's strategic culture influences its coercive postures. These cases were specifically chosen due to their geopolitical significance and distinct strategic cultures. The research combines computational text analysis of strategic documents with qualitative interviews with policymakers, academics, and military experts. The findings highlight how dominant themes within each country’s strategic culture shape views on coercion and guide preferences for specific coercive means and behavior.
The study contributes to the broader understanding of coercion by integrating strategic culture into the analysis of state behavior, complementing previous studies which overlook nonmaterial variables. Methodologically, it offers an innovative approach that incorporates computational techniques, rarely used in international relations scholarship. Finally, the dissertation provides insights into the coercive foreign policy of three key global actors, revealing how cultural and ideational factors shape and direct power and influence, with important policy implications.