1. The Rubicon Theory of War: How the Path to Conflict Reaches the Point of No Return
- Author:
- Dominic Tierney and Dominic D.P. Johnson
- Publication Date:
- 06-2011
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- International Security
- Institution:
- Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University
- Abstract:
- In 49 B.C., Julius Caesar halted his army on the banks of the Rubicon River in northern Italy. According to Suetonius, he paused in momentary hesitation, before sweeping across the waters toward Rome with the immortal phrase Alae iacta est (The die has been cast). By violating an ancient Roman law forbidding any general to cross the Rubicon with an army, Caesar's decision made war inevitable. Ever since, “crossing the Rubicon” has come to symbolize a point of no return, when the time for deliberation is over and action is at hand.
- Topic:
- International Relations and Intelligence
- Political Geography:
- Russia, Germany, and Romania