Power, Diplomacy, and Diplomatic Networks
This concluding chapter discusses that most multilateral military coalitions—including those operating under the umbrella of an international organization—are purposefully constructed by states that are most interested in the deployment of a particular operation. These pivotal states thereby instrumentalize diplomatic embeddedness; they use their diplomatic networks as a resource, as a strategic capability to construct allied cooperation. Most pivotal states are politically powerful and wealthy. Yet asymmetrical power capabilities alone often cannot account for the coalition negotiation outcomes observed in this book. Relatively weak states in fact are often able to drive a hard bargain. They are aware of the pivotal states' desire for their coalition contribution and thus hold considerable power in coalition negotiations. The social-institutional theory of multilateral military coalition building developed in this book explains the theoretical underpinnings of these dynamics in detail. The chapter then considers this book's implications for how governments, international organizations, scholars, and informed citizens analyze multilateral military coalition building and make policies to deal with it.