ABSTRACT
Systemic wars tend to originate from local conflicts that subsequently engulf the great powers. As James Morrow observed, “general wars typically begin small and then expand to encompass all the major powers.”1 Although these wars may eventually involve those leading states experiencing a power transition, they do not usually arise initially from a direct confrontation between them. The leading states often become involved only subsequently as a result of the contagious effects of alliance commitments.
