Which term is used to describe the practice of pushing international crises to the brink of war?

Brinkmanship is the term that describes the practice of pushing international crises to the brink of war, with the intention of forcing the opposing side to back down. This strategy involves escalating tensions to a highly charged level, which can create the perception that a military conflict is imminent. The underlying idea is to leverage the fear of war as a means of achieving political goals, compelling adversaries to make concessions to avoid the catastrophic consequences of a military confrontation.

In the context of international relations, brinkmanship has often been associated with strategic negotiations during the Cold War, where the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in perilous standoffs, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, demonstrating a willingness to approach the edge of conflict to secure advantageous positions.

The other terms listed represent different concepts in international relations. Escalation refers to an increase in conflict intensity but does not inherently involve the strategic brinkmanship of threatening war. Diplomatic negotiation is a strategy aiming for mutually agreed resolutions without pushing conflicts to dangerous levels. Containment is a policy aimed at preventing the expansion of an adversary’s influence or power rather than risking a confrontation directly. Therefore, while these terms are related to international dynamics, brinkmanship specifically captures the essence of flirting with war as a negotiating tactic