Frozen conflicts in world politics: A new dataset

Abstract

This article introduces the first comprehensive dataset of frozen conflicts in world politics. It draws on a new, broader conceptualization of frozen conflicts that revolves around an unresolved core issue between the warring parties and transcends the common understanding of frozen conflicts as a recent, post-Soviet phenomenon. The authors identify 42 cases of such conflicts between 1946 and 2011 that include conflict dyads involving both regular states and ‘de facto states’. The article describes the process of dataset construction, presents summary statistics, and identifies key patterns concerning conflict onset, escalation, and resolution. In addition, it provides a comparison of the dataset with enduring rivalries and strategic rivalries to situate it within existing research on conflict escalation and conflict resolution. The dataset is presented in a cross-sectional format compatible with the Correlates of War and the Uppsala Conflict Data Program that can be used by other researchers in peace and conflict studies to provide new insights into the dynamics of frozen conflicts.