9 - De-Escalation

Summary

In chapter nine the focus is entirely on de-escalation, which compared to the discussion about escalation, is rather under-theorised presently. The starting point form the Cold War ideas on how conflict is supposed to de-escalate, followed by a treatment of the literature on the restraints of terrorism and insurgency whether self-imposed or not. Two hypotheses related to de-escalation are formulated based on the literature about de-legitimation and norm convergence and about an inability shift to continue the conflict, in the shape of a loss of foreign support and defection. The vignette in this chapter is the Chechen independence movement.