Difference between revisions of "Thomas Schelling"
(→Guilt over Vietnam: Compellence) |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
'''Thomas Crombie Schelling''' (born 14 April 1921) is an American economist and nuclear strategic. His 1967 book ''Arms and Influence'' was one of the most famous books of the Cold War. | '''Thomas Crombie Schelling''' (born 14 April 1921) is an American economist and nuclear strategic. His 1967 book ''Arms and Influence'' was one of the most famous books of the Cold War. | ||
| − | == | + | =="Compellence"== |
| − | + | Schelling developed the concept of "compellence" in military strategy. This basically meant taking military (or other action) to compell the enemy to act (as apposed to deterence which prevented action). The concept is explained in the book ''American Defence Policy'' as follows: | |
| − | <blockquote style="background-color:ivory;border:1pt solid Darkgoldenrod;padding:1%;font-size:10pt"> | + | <blockquote style="background-color:ivory;border:1pt solid Darkgoldenrod;padding:1%;font-size:10pt">Compellence, in Schelling’s words, “involves initiating an action…that can cease, or become harmless, only if the opponent responds.” Compellence can employ force either physically or peacefully. A state can start actually harming another with physical destruction until the latter abides by the former’s wishes…America’s bombing of North Vietnam in early 1965 was an example of physical compellence.<ref>Peter L. Hays, Brenda J. Vallance, Alan R. Van Tassel, ''American Defense Policy'' (JHU Press, 1997) p.19</ref></blockquote> |
| + | |||
| + | According to [[Denis Healey]]: "after [Schelling's] first visit to Vietnam, where he saw his abstract theory of 'compellence' put into bloody and senseless action, he expressed his resulting guilt in a moving address to the annual [[International Institute for Strategic Studies|ISS]] conference.<ref>Denis Healey, ''The Time of My Life'' (London: Penguin, 1989) p.246</ref> | ||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
Revision as of 10:20, 24 October 2008
Thomas Crombie Schelling (born 14 April 1921) is an American economist and nuclear strategic. His 1967 book Arms and Influence was one of the most famous books of the Cold War.
"Compellence"
Schelling developed the concept of "compellence" in military strategy. This basically meant taking military (or other action) to compell the enemy to act (as apposed to deterence which prevented action). The concept is explained in the book American Defence Policy as follows:
Compellence, in Schelling’s words, “involves initiating an action…that can cease, or become harmless, only if the opponent responds.” Compellence can employ force either physically or peacefully. A state can start actually harming another with physical destruction until the latter abides by the former’s wishes…America’s bombing of North Vietnam in early 1965 was an example of physical compellence.[1]
According to Denis Healey: "after [Schelling's] first visit to Vietnam, where he saw his abstract theory of 'compellence' put into bloody and senseless action, he expressed his resulting guilt in a moving address to the annual ISS conference.[2]
