science

Wedge strategy (diplomacy)

Wedge strategy (diplomacy) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Wedge strategy (diplomacy) rather than just read about it. In short: Wedge strategies in diplomacy are used to prevent, divide, and weaken an adversary coalition. Wedge strategies can take the shape of reward-based or coercive strategies.

Key takeaways

Wedge strategy (diplomacy) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Wedge strategy (diplomacy) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Wedge strategy (diplomacy) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Wedge strategies in diplomacy are used to prevent, divide, and weaken an adversary coalition. Wedge strategies can take the shape of reward-based or coercive strategies. Alignment abnormalities can arise because of wedge strategies. Wedge strategies may be a subset or similar to Divide and rule strategies, however, there may be a slight optical difference. With the divide and rule strategy, there is a clear winner, whereas with the wedge strategy, attention is not focused on the winner but instead against the discredited coalition.

US examples 1948: George Kennan argued that the United States should "wean a Chinese coalition government from the Soviets" 1952 CIA's national covert strategy objective "should be to drive a wedge between the Communist government of China and the Communist government of the USSR to the point where hostilities actually break out or are on the constant verge of breaking out...so that they are no longer a menace to the West and to their Asiatic neighbors."

Great Britain examples 1930s: Great Britain's defensive attempts to accommodate Italy 1940–1941: Great Britain used a wedge strategy to keep Spain from entering World War II on the side of the Axis

Soviet examples 1950: Moscow inciting Mao to actions guaranteed to sustain Sino-American friction

Russian examples 2016: Interference by Russia in the UK Brexit referendum, driving wedges between the EU member states

Contemporary Chinese examples Against the Australia-US alliance Against the EU Against the EU-US alliance Against the Japan-US alliance Against the Pakistan-US alliance Against the Philippines-US alliance Against the ROK-US alliance Against the ROK-Japan-US security trilateral Against the Taiwan-US alliance Against the Vietnam-US partnership

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Wedge strategy (diplomacy)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Wedge strategy (diplomacy) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Wedge strategy (diplomacy) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Wedge strategy (diplomacy) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Wedge strategy (diplomacy)

In research: Wedge strategy (diplomacy) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Wedge strategy (diplomacy) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Wedge strategy (diplomacy) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Conflict (process), Foreign intervention, Foreign relations stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Wedge strategy (diplomacy) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Wedge strategy (diplomacy) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Wedge strategy (diplomacy) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Wedge strategy (diplomacy) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Wedge strategy (diplomacy) in simple terms?

Wedge strategies in diplomacy are used to prevent, divide, and weaken an adversary coalition. Wedge strategies can take the shape of reward-based or coercive strategies.

Why does Wedge strategy (diplomacy) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Wedge strategy (diplomacy)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Wedge strategy (diplomacy).