Int Rel Theo War

How the Research Is Empirically Examined 81

Table 4.6

Stability of the Unipolar System, 1992–2016

Central Wars Great Wars Small Wars Duration
(Days)

Deaths

Total

Invasion of

Afghanistan of

2001 (#225)^1

658 8,116

Invasion of Iraq

of 2003 (#227)^2

467 30,976

1 The length of the U.S.-Afghan War and the number of coalition deaths in the war: October
7, 2001–December 31, 2001—86 days, 12 deaths; 2002—365 days, 68 deaths; January 1,
2003–July 26, 2003—207 days, 36 deaths. In total throughout the war: 658 days, 116 deaths.
2 The length of the U.S.-Iraq War and the number of coalition deaths in the war: March 20,
2003–December 31, 2003—287 days, 173 deaths; January 1, 2004–June 28, 2004—180 days,
803 deaths. In total throughout the war: 467 days, 976 deaths.

THE STABILITY OF INTERNATIONAL SYSTEMS—

QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT

The qualitative assessment attempts to prove causality between the study
assumption concerning the differing stability of the three international sys-
tem models and the empiric outcomes under those systems—multipolar
systems as the most destabilized, bipolar systems as the most stable, and
unipolar systems as lying between the other two. The qualitative assess-
ment is done by examining a limited number of important wars that the
polar powers constituting the six instances of the three possible interna-
tional system models in 1816–2016 fought.
The issue of stability may be examined through the struggle or quest for
hegemony by the great powers, which was expressed in two types of wars:
major wars, involving one or more polar power in the system; and central
wars, involving all of them. Therefore, the current subchapter examines
all wars of this type fought in 1816–2016. To prove this argument, I have
chosen to examine the factors that led to the outbreak of the three most
significant wars fought in 1816–2016. These three wars were fought in two
instances of multipolar systems: the Crimean War, which was a major war
fought in the multipolar system of the 19th century, and the First and the

and the Iraq War ended at the time of official handover of power to the
Iraqi government.
Table 4.6 shows the degree of stability of the unipolar system that
occurred worldwide in 1992–2016.