ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the topic covered by the book. Its main scope is to provide the reader with all the elements necessary to follow the book’s argument. The chapter introduces the theoretical framework of this study, based on neoclassical realism. It also provides an overlook of the case study, the alliances of the Syrian Arab Republic during the 1963–1989 years. The chapter also discusses some of the key terms of the analysis (such as alliances and ideology) as well as the methodology used by its research. Its final section discusses the relevant literature and particularly three areas: the literature on alliances, the realist paradigm and the vast literature on international relations of the Middle East region.
