ABSTRACT
This paper consists of two parts. First, there is a theoretical analysis of the idea of coercion and its relation to other forms of influence. Second, this definition is applied to the area of international politics. Although the discussion in the second part will bear on factual matters, the main purpose of this paper is purely theoretical. The rather free and impressionistic discussion is aimed to show how the concepts developed here work out when applied to international affairs, rather than to advance or defend empirical propositions.
