Andrew Mumford 
Proxy Warfare [PDF ebook] 

Proxy wars represent a perennial strand in the history of conflict.
The appeal of ‘warfare on the cheap’ has proved an
irresistible strategic allure for nations through the centuries.
However, proxy wars remain a missing link in contemporary war and
security studies. In this timely book Andrew Mumford sheds new
light on the dynamics and lineage of proxy warfare from the Cold
War to the War on Terror, whilst developing a cogent conceptual
framework to explain their appeal.

Tracing the political and strategic development of proxy wars
throughout the last century, they emerge as a dominant
characteristic of contemporary conflict. The book ably shows how
proxy interventions often prolong existing conflicts given the
perpetuity of arms, money and sometimes proxy fighters sponsored by
third party donors. Furthermore, it emphasizes why, given the
direction of the War on Terror, the rise of China as a global
power, and the prominence now achieved by non-state actors in the
‘Arab Spring’, the phenomenon of proxy warfare is
increasingly relevant to understandings of contemporary security.

Proxy Warfare is an indispensable guide for students and
scholars interested in the evolution and potential future direction
of war and conflict in the modern world.

Table of Content

Acknowledgements viii

Introduction: The Rise of Proxy Wars 1

1: What is Proxy War? 11

2: Why Does Proxy War Appeal? 30

3: Who Engages in Proxy War? 45

4: How Are Proxy Wars Fought? 61

5: The Future of Proxy War 76

Conclusion: The Continuing Appeal of Proxy Warfare 97

Notes 113

Bibliography 129

Index 140

About the author

Andrew Mumford is Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham