OPINION Vol.1, No.1 June 2013 - National Defence University

COERCIVE STATECRAFT
"The most complete and happy victory is this: to compel one's enemy to give up his purpose, while
suffering no harm to oneself."
Introduction
Byzantine General Belisarius
Coercive statecraft is rooted in history. A history in which man has tried to minimize force: not so
much to avoid the loss to the opponent, but more to avoid the loss of one’s own energies, resources, efforts
and potential. Therefore this, in a way, can be termed a selfish approach, albeit with ultimate positive
results.
Coercive statecraft has many dimensions and states have used various methodologies to coerce the
target state into compliance: some successful, others not. Coercive statecraft needs studying because, if
successful, the strategy can prevent conflict escalating to full-scale war. Secondly, policy makers can learn
from previous crises, thus lending policy-relevance to current and future governmental decision-making.
Thirdly, building theory in the political and decision sciences becomes a distinct possibility. Fourthly,
these statecraft applications enrich our understanding of past and current approaches from Pakistan’s point
of view, along with learning the art of crisis management and national security decision-making.
Aim
To provide an understanding of coercive statecraft in contemporary politics, by analyzing future
coercive modalities, with a view to recommending pertinent lessons.
Scope
An overview of coercive statecraft.
Applications of coercive statecraft.
Future of coercive modalities.
Lessons learnt.
Instruments of Statecraft
AN OVERVIEW OF COERCIVE STATECRAFT
Statecraft employs and combines pressure and persuasion to achieve political aims and uses
military, political and economic instruments of power to advance a state’s interests. Diplomacy applies
this power by persuasive measures short of war, but there is a long history of coercive force associated
with negotiation and diplomatic leverage. It therefore follows that coercive statecraft is a challenging yet
prevalent practice. Australian analyst Coral Bell called it “no-man’s land that lies between defence and
diplomacy.” 1 The instruments of statecraft can be divided into three categories:-
Persuasive Statecraft. Persuasive tools are used to get other nations to alter their stance, even
when such a change is believed to be against their interests: the tools persuade them otherwise.
Persuasive tools attain this by power of argument and not by using threats or offering any benefit
in return.
Cooperative Statecraft. Cooperative tools include luring a nation by offering benefits and at the
same time exercising influence over that nation or state. In simple terms, it is the policy of offering
‘carrots’. Practical manifestation of this will be via economic, military and technical help to entice
other state.
Coercive Statecraft. Coercion is about forcing a state to act involuntarily by the use of threat or
intimidation or some other form of pressure and force. The history of coercive tools can be traced
back to the origin of statecraft. Coercive tools are used when states are entangled in a situation
where persuasion and incentives have totally failed to achieve end results and coercion is the only
tool left for achieving their objectives.
OPINION Vol.1 No.1 23 June 2013