brinkmanship etymology

Etymology:

  • "Brink" (edge of a precipice) + "manship" (skill or behavior)

Meaning:

Brinkmanship refers to a strategy or policy in which a party engages in risky actions or exploits dangerous situations to achieve their goals or pressure others to make concessions. It involves pushing a situation to the brink of failure or disaster without actually crossing the line.

Origin:

The term "brinkmanship" was coined by John Foster Dulles, the US Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Dulles used the term in a speech in January 1956, in which he described the US's nuclear deterrence strategy towards the Soviet Union. Dulles argued that the US should be willing to push to the brink of nuclear war in order to deter Soviet aggression.

The term quickly gained popularity and has since been applied to a wide range of situations where parties engage in risky or dangerous actions to achieve their objectives. It is often used in the context of international relations, diplomacy, and crisis management.

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