Alliance theory has neglected why alliances persist and what happens when they become obsolete

Evidence

Alliance theory traditionally has not dealt with the death of alliances, focusing instead on their origins, functions, and impact on interstate relations. Classic works, like George Liska’s Nations in Alliance: The Limits of Interdependence, rarely addressed the fate of successful alliances, possibly because “almost all alliances [have] dissolved once the original threat faded,” as Hellmann and Wolf describe it. Scholars have paid substantial attention to burden sharing in alliances as well to optimal alliance size, but we know little about what happens in obsolete alliances. Who, if anyone, assumes their functions? In addition, we know little about the nonmilitary dimensions of alliance dynamics or the domestic-international dimensions of alliances. — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 31

Categorization

• XREF: This is the heart of my reading purpose — the literature gap that institutional-persistence analysis fills. Raises QUESTION about whether NATO’s survival was exceptional or typical. — connects to: Alliance scholarship has neglected how alliances adapt to shifting strategic conditions. — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 7; Explaining alliance persistence requires nonrealist unit-level theory. — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 16; Alliance theory predicts collapse once threats vanish. — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 14 (+9 more)
• QUESTION: Are there actual documented cases beyond NATO where an alliance persisted past its founding threat, or did nearly all dissolve as Hellmann and Wolf claim?

Broader Connections

• Alliances can persist and expand purposes after their founding enemy disappears #corroborates (0.93) — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 60
• Alliances with developed organizations survive threats long after they vanish #expands (0.88) — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 153
• Alliances may persist through habit and precaution after threats recede #expands (0.86) — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 61
• Cross-civilizational alliances persist from inertia and balance-of-power need #exemplifies (0.84)
• An alliance persists when its founding enemy vanishes. #corroborates (0.82) — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 57
• Theories predicting alliance demise need testable time frames for their claims. #expands (0.78) — Robert B. McCalla, NATO’s persistence after the cold war, 45