Since the end of the Cold War, liberal democracies have conducted military interventions on numerous occasions, and with mixed results. Why is it that these results have so often been poor? The main argument of this study is that to be succesful, force must be used decisively. This requires the right balance between means and ends, based on an understanding of the dynamics of coercion. But even if this is the case, asymmetrical reactions from a weak opponent could easily offset Western military might. This is why, this book argues, the West's military superiority scarcely matters. Rob de Wijk is director of the Clingendael Centre for Strategic Studies in The Netherlands. He is also professor in the field of International Relations at the Royal Netherlands Military Academy, and professor of Strategic Studies at Leiden University.