catalytic war

English

Noun

catalytic war (plural catalytic wars)

1. A war initiated by one party and continued by others.
   • 1966, Richard A. Falk, Saul H. Mendlovitz, The Strategy of World Order: Toward a theory of war prevention, page 30:

     By this definition, World War I was a catalytic war, set off by Serbia and Austria, which also had some overtones of "reciprocal fear of surprise attack" and "self-fulfilling prophecy," because the side which mobilized first was likely to win.

   • 1968, United States Air Force Academy. Department of Political Science, Mark E. Smith, American Defense Policy (page 91)

     Indeed a catalytic war seems much more likely to be touched off by a desperate or vengeful power than an ambitious one.