This is a re-blog of an excellent discussion by Campbell Craig of Alex Anievas’ new book, Capital, the State and War (2014). This book builds upon Kenneth Waltz’s 1959 publication of the same name, which aims to explore the recurrence of war; looking beyond reasons of human nature and regime type, which were considered to be inadequate explanations alone. Anjevas builds upon the Marxian theory of uneven and combined development to theorise contemporary international relations. This theory was developed by Trotsky to explain how uneven economic competition between counties whose economies are intertwined leads to interstate conflict. Craig provides a detailed analysis of the relevance of Anievas’ wok in explaining the ‘thirty year crisis’ of 1915-45. He draws attention, however, to the weaknesses of the theory of uneven and combined development in explaining international relations post ’45.While, however, as Craig argues, ‘there has been no war among major capitalist powers’ since the end of WW2 there have, of course, been various intrastate wars where the interests and agendas of major capitalist countries have been – and continue to be – played out.

Eleanor