02-28-2012

hdl:1902.5/9955

This study identifies ''great power'' wars, i.e., major-minor wars, or those involving at least one great power on each side. In order to exclude protracted conflicts with low levels of fighting, an annual average of 1,000 battle deaths was required for inclusion in this collection. Great powers are defined as countries or states that play a major role in international politics with respect to security-related issues. Such powers must have a high level of military capability relative to other states and be able to project military power beyond their borders with the option of using force, or the threat of force, to help shape their external environment. They play a large role in international organizations and politics and are perceived as great powers by other members of the international community. Variables in this collection include the duration of each war, its severity in terms of the number of battle-connected deaths, the extent of the war (defined as the number of great powers participating in the fighting), magnitude of the war (combining extent and duration indicators), and the concentration of war (the ratio of severity to magnitude).

Levy, Jack S., 2012, "Great Power Wars, 1495-1815"

Levy, Jack S.

Harvard University

SCR:011273

DataVerse

Dataverse Network Project

SCR:001997