The Return of Great Power Proxy Wars?

In the final chapter of the handbook, Erin K. Jenne and David S. Siroky discuss the possibility of a return of “Great Proxy Wars.” The authors argue that over the past decade, the international stage has witnessed a return of symmetrical proxy wars reminiscent of the Cold War period. This is most clearly exemplified by an increasingly revanchist Russia that has been facing off against Western power in Syria and Ukraine. Jenne and Siroky believe that these types of proxy wars are more likely to occur during periods of heightened great power rivalry and in states that straddle rival security hierarchies.