Coercion by military assistance: A two-level strategy

Coercion is a key strategy for states seeking to enhance their security, and military assistance is increasingly highlighted by states as a tool of coercion. The literature on three-party coercion is, however, still underdeveloped. This article introduces the strategic logic of coercion by military assistance. It also highlights ‘two-level coercion’, where the coercer can use military assistance for both general and immediate coercion simultaneously. This has implications for how we understand the outcome of coercion as well as the role of ongoing conflicts for strategies of coercion.