International Negotiations

Do you think negotiation is just for slick lawyers, hostage negotiators, or that guy at the flea market who buys a Rolex for the price of lunch? Think again. Negotiation isn't just for boardrooms. It's for bedrooms, break rooms, and broom closets. From asking for a raise to convincing your partner to watch your Netflix pick to persuading your toddler that broccoli isn't a weapon—you negotiate daily. The question is: are you winning?

On November 29, 1943, as the Allies’ primary leaders met in Tehran, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt described to Soviet leader Joseph Stalin his idea for the organization that would become the United Nations. The American president suggested that the active arm of the organization be “the Four Policemen”: the U.S., USSR, UK, and China. Stalin agreed with much of the framework in principle, but asserted that China likely would not possess the strength after the war to assist.

In Words of War, Eric Min pulls back the curtain on when, why, and how belligerents negotiate while fighting. Of all interstate conflicts across the last two centuries, two-thirds have ended through negotiated agreement. Wartime diplomacy is thus commonly seen as a costless and mechanical process solely designed to end fighting. But as Min argues, wartime negotiations are not just peacemaking tools. They are in fact a highly strategic activity that can also help states manage, fight, and potentially win wars.