Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

DOI

10.1007/s43545-026-01814-w

Publication Title

SN Social Sciences

Volume

6

Issue

10

Pages

521 (29 pp.)

Abstract

This research assesses how “will to fight” impacts the ability of African nations to achieve strategic success during periods of increased competition between powerful nations (great powers) and increasing global and transnational threat. Unlike most studies on strategy which focus on the physical assets (material capacity), institutions (governance), and the support received from other nations (external assistance) a new study provides evidence that the will to fight of an African nation has a significant impact on its ability to sustain its deterrent capability, remain strategically open, and resist coercion. Using case studies of four regions (the Sahel, Mali, Cameroon, and the Horn of Africa) the study illustrates how a weak will to fight significantly increases the likelihood of a nation’s military collapsing; increasing reliance on foreign militaries and ultimately reducing the options available for a nation to make strategic decisions. Conversely, when there is a strong will to fight, even in extremely difficult circumstances a nation retains the ability to make strategic choices with respect to both its own military forces and those of other nations. This research contributes to the body of knowledge in military studies by identifying will to fight as a pre-conflict strategic resource that enhances a nation’s deterrence capabilities, the flexibility to align with other nations to meet a variety of strategic objectives, and a nation’s ability to win without engaging in war. The findings of the research provide direct recommendations for defense planners in the United States and other aligned nations regarding their assessment of and investment in will to fight as a critical component of both the development of security partnerships and the design of regional engagement strategies.

Rights

© The Authors 2026

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original authors and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. 

Data Availability

Article states: "Not applicable."

ORCID

0009-0006-9633-0945 (Edmond)

Original Publication Citation

Edmond, C. (2026). Winning without war in Africa: The will to fight, strategic openness, and great power rivalry. SN Social Sciences, 6(10), Article 521. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-026-01814-w

Download

Share

COinS