Abstract: | This article points out the increasing importance of the arms trade in the contemporary international system, and reviews critically the essential scholarly works devoted to this topic. Arguing that most of the existing literature is either descriptive or only very partially explanatory, the author suggests a set of five requirements for a satisfactory understanding. Following an analysis of the relationships between these ideal criteria and segments of the theoretically oriented literature, he outlines an original, though preliminary model for a systematic analysis of arms supply as an international political phenomenon. Sections: An overview of the literature - Understanding arms transfers - Towards a new model - Weapons supply and political influence - Historical variants. Ref., figures, summary. |