Although attempts to conquer entire states became rare after 1945, attempts to conquer small pieces of territory persisted. Why do states so often seize—and even fight wars over—remarkably small areas? We argue that traditional explanations predicated on the material or ethnic value of disputed territories largely cannot explain the escalation of territorial disputes since 1945. Instead, actors more often seize territory to be seen seizing it. We theorize that the roots of these conquest attempts often lie in careerist incentives within militaries. Military officers seize small pieces of disputed territory in pursuit of promotions or political office, especially in states where the military wields greater political power. We test this theory with a statistical analysis of conquest attempts in territorial disputes (1965–2000) using new geospatial and conquest data along with a medium-n process analysis of all conquest attempts since 1945. Our results suggest that careerist self-aggrandizement plays an important role in contemporary territorial conflict.

中文翻译：

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领土争端为何升级：自 1945 年以来征服尝试的原因

尽管在 1945 年之后征服整个州的尝试变得罕见，但征服小块领土的尝试仍然存在。为什么国家如此频繁地占领——甚至为争夺——非常小的地区而开战？我们认为，基于争议领土的物质或种族价值的传统解释在很大程度上无法解释自 1945 年以来领土争端的升级。相反，行为者更经常夺取领土以被看到夺取它。我们推测，这些征服尝试的根源通常在于军队内部的野心家动机。军官为了升职或担任政治职务而夺取小块有争议的领土，尤其是在军队拥有更大政治权力的州。