Navigating Interrole Conflicts and Maneuvering Sovereignty in the Foreign Policy of Buffer States (opens in new tab)

AbstractHow do buffer states behave? What factors influence their decision-making? This study answers these questions using the framework of role theory to understand the interrole conflicts that are inherent in the buffer state role and that emerge when at least two opposing great powers and alliances exert pressure on them. By employing the strategies of choice, compromise (alternating and mixing roles), avoidance, and both direct and indirect resolution, this study assesses how buffer stat...