Coercive statecraft refers to the threat or use of force in order to get the target of
coercion to comply with a set of demands. Throughout history, states have used a variety
of coercive strategies to compel both adversaries and allies. These strategies include
the threat of use of force for the purpose of coercing adversaries or allies, the actual
use of military force to achieve political objectives, the covert use of force as a tool
of statecraft, as well as the deployment of an assortment of non-military measures.
State coercion thus encompasses military, political, economic, diplomatic, and — these
days also — cyber measures.
From Gunboat Diplomacy to Digital Control
The modalities through which states coerce have varied greatly across time and space —
shaped not just by the available instruments but also by prevailing norms of interstate
behaviour. Gunboat diplomacy was part and parcel of the statecraft of Western seafaring
states since the late Middle Ages, if not earlier. Its use became circumscribed by
international law in the aftermath of the Second World War, diminishing although certainly
not eliminating its salience as a tool of coercion. Coercion has thus evolved, adapting
to opportunities and limitations afforded by the Age.
In short, the threat and use of force for coercive purposes has deep historical roots but
is also increasingly widespread. Yet, the study of coercion remains fragmented in parallel
silos and in distinct fields of study, focusing on such phenomena as coercive diplomacy,
military coercion, hybrid or grey zone strategies, and economic statecraft. As a result,
the question as to why states choose to pursue different coercive strategies, under what
conditions, and to what effect, remains unsatisfactorily answered.