Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors? What History Teaches Us About Strategic Barriers and International Security by Brent L. Sterling

Why Do Leaders Build Walls? Domestic Politics, Leader Survival, and The Fortification of Borders

“…Further, although borderland territories retained their strategic value in the defense of the state (e.g., Carter 2010), modern warfare increasingly evolved to emphasize mobility (e.g., Lyall and Wilson 2009) and, consequently, the military importance of borders and fixed fortifications waned (Andreas 2003). Moreover, the integration of the world's economies, the telecommunications revolution, and the ease of travel have each made borders more porous (Brown 2010;Sterling 2009;Vallet 2016). This is not to imply, however, that states could ignore their borders once the Cold War ended.…”

“…One of the most notable policies that states have implemented in their effort to reimpose border controls is that of the wall. For example, since the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, EU member states have constructed more than 1000 miles of physical walls, with most of this a direct response to the so-called refugee crisis of 2015 (Brown 2010;Sterling 2009;Vallet 2016). This resurgence in border walls around the world has prompted scholars to return to the study of fortifications.…”

“…For example, one alternative to wall building, that of external military intervention, is uncertain in its probability of success and is costly in terms of lives and treasure. There are many anecdotes to support this perspective; for example, the United States, India, Israel, Turkey, and Kenya have each initiated external military action against a variety of transnational threats, but then began wall construction after the relative failure of their respective campaigns (Cannon 2016;Sterling 2009).…”

“…What has emerged across the subsequent three decades is, however, almost the exact opposite. States supposedly threatened by the economic, cultural, and security implications of globalization have increasingly reimposed border controls in an attempt to limit the movement of people and goods (Brown 2010;Sterling 2009;Vallet 2016).…”

“…One manifestation of this trend is the fortification of borders. States have been building walls and fences on their borders at unprecedented rates (Brown 2010;Sterling 2009;Vallet 2016). By some estimates, as few as seven states had fortified their borders with walls or fences as of the end of the Second World War.…”