How rivalries end

"Rivalry between nations has a long and sometimes bloody history. Not all political opposition culminates in war--the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union is one example--but in most cases competition between nations and peoples for resources and strategic advantage does lead to violence: nearly 80 percent of the wars fought since 1816 were sparked by contention between rival nations. Long-term discord is a global concern, since competing states may drag allies into their conflict or threaten to use weapons of mass destruction. How Rivalries End is a study of how such…