The Pitfalls of Cross-National Comparison in Conflict Research
Professor Joseph Soeters shows admirable ambition in comparing national styles of conflict resolution and is extremely eager to draw historical lessons from such comparative exercises. However, he gets entangled in national mythmaking as he underestimates the complexity of comparative
history of this kind. Particularly the establishment of true causal links between national (strategic) cultures and actual tactical behaviour on the ground is far more difficult than he suggests in his recent book chapter and his reply to my article in this journal.
Keywords: Comparative History; Counter-insurgency; ‘Dutch Approach’
Document Type: Research Article
Affiliations: Netherlands Institute of Military History, The Hague,
Publication date: 01 December 2013
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