The Vanishing Peace: Why Belligerents are Increasingly Reluctant to Make Formal Concessions
Journal: eScholarship (California Digital Library)
Year: 2014

Since World War II, less than a third of all interstate wars have ended in peace treaties. Instead of countries making formal concessions, fighting often ends with cease-fires that leave forces in place without belligerents resolving their underlying conflict. Before World War II, however, fighting was usually quickly followed by a peace accord, in which defeated countries formally renounced political claims--usually regarding sovereignty over territory. So why do adversaries no longer end hosti