Big nations lose small wars' because they're big.
I believe the answer lies in the role of strategy, and how relative strategies mediate raw power relationships. Structure, then, is necessary but not sufficient to explain outomes over time. In the dissertation I argue that structure, geography, and ideology act independently or in combination to constrain or determine a given actor's choice of strategy, as well as the likelihood of strategic innovation early in the conflict. Once a conflict of interests becomes a physical contest, each actor will choose either a conventional and unconventional strategy. Finally, the dissertation will highlight the conditions under which chosen strategies are more or less effective, depending on their interaction, and the nature of the actors involved.