How do states advance their national security interests? Conventional wisdom holds that states must court the risk of catastrophic war by 'tying their hands' to credibly protect their interests. Dan Reiter overturns this perspective with the compelling argument that states craft flexible foreign policies to avoid unwanted wars. Through a comprehensive analysis of key international crises, including the Berlin, Taiwan Straits, and Cuban Missile Crises, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Reiter provides new perspectives on the causes of wars, the role of international alliances, foreign troop deployments, leader madness, and the impact of AI on international relations. With critical insights into contemporary foreign policy challenges, such as America's role in NATO, the risks of war with China, containing a resurgent Russia, and the dangers of nuclear war, Untied Hands is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding how states can effectively manage international crises while avoiding the wrong wars.

‘This is a definitive book about international relations. Conventional wisdom holds that countries gain bargaining advantages by making it impossible or too costly to back down. Challenging decades of scholarship, Reiter persuasively demonstrates that countries rarely tie their hands. Untied Hands should be read alongside Thomas Schelling’s 1960s-era classics.’

Matthew Fuhrmann - Texas A&M University and author of Influence Without Arms

‘Reiter’s careful analysis of historical evidence strongly challenges a fundamental tenet of international relations scholarship: that states tie their hands to boost credibility. This book will surely spark debate among scholars and change how we think about crisis bargaining.’

Roseanne W. McManus - Pennsylvania State University

‘Once again, Dan Reiter compels us to reconsider conventional understandings of international politics. His masterful book casts new light on one of the most important assets in foreign policy: credibility. It argues that our basic beliefs about how to make threats and promises credible in foreign policy have been wrong all along. Scholars and policymakers will have to stop and reckon with its bracing conclusions.’

Todd Sechser - University of Virginia and co author of Nuclear Weapons and Coercive Diplomacy

‘Untied Hands is a fascinating piece of scholarship that challenges one of the key concepts in our field: hands-tying as a rational strategy for leaders in international crises. Provocative yet well-theorized and grounded in empirical evidence, this book will be invaluable to anyone interested in the dynamics of interstate bargaining in world politics.’

Michal Smetana - Charles University and Director of the Peace Research Center Prague

‘Untied Hands offers a forceful reminder how theories must be evaluated against data and not just whether they appear compelling.’

Kristian Skrede Gleditsch Source: Journal of Peace Research