
Why Leaders and Nations Choose War
Emotions and Decision Making
Gadi Heimann(Author)
Rowman & Littlefield (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 9. July 2026
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-1-6669-7475-1 (ISBN)
Description
Why Leaders and Nations Choose War: Emotions and Decision Making analyses the decisive role that emotions play in one of the most consequential arenas of human life-war. Challenging the assumption that leaders act purely on rational calculation, this demonstrates how fear, wishful thinking, and regret have repeatedly shaped fateful decisions in modern history. Drawing on psychological theory, international relations, and historical case studies, Gadi Heimann explains how emotions can both enhance and distort judgment, tipping the scales between peace and conflict.
Through vivid accounts of twentieth-century wars, Why Leaders and Nations Choose War reveals how fear drove Germany into World War I and Israel into preemptive strikes throughout its history; how wishful thinking fueled Germany's submarine offensive and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor; and how regret shaped U.S. isolationism and later the Cold War. By weaving together theory and narrative, the book provides a new lens for understanding the complex interplay between emotion and statecraft.
Through vivid accounts of twentieth-century wars, Why Leaders and Nations Choose War reveals how fear drove Germany into World War I and Israel into preemptive strikes throughout its history; how wishful thinking fueled Germany's submarine offensive and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor; and how regret shaped U.S. isolationism and later the Cold War. By weaving together theory and narrative, the book provides a new lens for understanding the complex interplay between emotion and statecraft.
Reviews / Votes
With remarkable insight and empathy, Professor Heimann places emotion at the very center of twentieth-century history. He portrays its leaders as profoundly human figures, driven as much by feeling as by reason. His prose, rich in sentiment and nuance, makes this book as emotionally stirring as it is intellectually illuminating. -- Deganit Paikowsky, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, IsraelMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
2 b/w tables
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6669-7475-1 (9781666974751)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
06/2026
Bloomsbury Academic
€98.99
Available for download

E-Book
06/2026
Bloomsbury Academic
€98.99
Available for download
Person
Gadi Heimann is associate professor in the Department of International Relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Content
Preface
Introduction
Part One: Fear
Chapter 1: Fear, Security, and War as Tragedy
Chapter 2: The "German Complex" and World War I
Chapter 3: The Road to the Six-Day War
Part Two: Wishful Thinking
Chapter 4: Optimism and the Rational Actor Model
Chapter 5: Germany Opts for a Submarine Offensive
Chapter 6: Japan's Road to Pearl Harbor
Part Three: Regret
Chapter 7: Regret, Historical Lessons, and National Trauma
Chapter 8: The Arms Manufacturers' Conspiracy and American Isolationism
Chapter 9: The Specter of Munich and the Cold War
Epilogue
About the Author
Introduction
Part One: Fear
Chapter 1: Fear, Security, and War as Tragedy
Chapter 2: The "German Complex" and World War I
Chapter 3: The Road to the Six-Day War
Part Two: Wishful Thinking
Chapter 4: Optimism and the Rational Actor Model
Chapter 5: Germany Opts for a Submarine Offensive
Chapter 6: Japan's Road to Pearl Harbor
Part Three: Regret
Chapter 7: Regret, Historical Lessons, and National Trauma
Chapter 8: The Arms Manufacturers' Conspiracy and American Isolationism
Chapter 9: The Specter of Munich and the Cold War
Epilogue
About the Author