Wars create escalation rationality

Once a major military confrontation has been initiated without a clear exit, political, strategic and reputational incentives can make escalation — even to large ground invasions — the 'rational' choice for leaders who fear domestic political collapse. The article uses a bank‑run analogy to argue that starting a conflict alters the decision environment so that withdrawal looks less viable and escalation becomes politically forced. — If widely acknowledged, this framing explains why failed or ill‑conceived interventions are likely to expand, raising the stakes for early crisis de‑escalation and oversight of executive war decisions.