The “war making-state making” theory posits that war can be, and in fact has been, a catalyst for state formation and state strengthening. Although the “war making-state making” theory was originally conceptualized as a model for state making in early-modern Europe, many have sought to amend the theory to make it more applicable to the contemporary setting. This paper examines one such “amendment” that is put forth by Brian D. Taylor and Roxana Botea, which offers a rather specific qualification to the “war making-state making” theory. In order to assess the explanatory power of Taylor and Botea‟s theoretical “amendment,” this paper compares the state making processes of Mozambique, Angola, and Botswana when faced with the threat of an aggressive South Africa (and Rhodesia) during the 1970s and 1980s. The findings of this paper suggest that the cases of Mozambique and Angola appear to corroborate the Taylor and Botea theory, while the case of Botswana is less conclusive. This paper also draws attention to some possible avenues for future research with respect to the “war making-state making” paradigm.

Download Article as a PDF