IR made accessible.
Geopolitics made clear.
Conflict Brief was built for people who want to genuinely understand international relations — not just follow the headlines. This is what that looks like in practice.
coming soon
Nick Kozoick
Conflict Brief grew out of a frustration that most international relations content falls into one of two traps: either it is too academic to be readable, or too shallow to be useful. The gap between serious IR scholarship and public understanding of global events is wide — and consequential.
I created this site to bridge that gap. The goal is in-depth analysis written for people who are genuinely curious about how the world works — students, professionals, and engaged citizens who want more than a news summary but do not have time for a graduate seminar.
Everything on Conflict Brief — the articles, the glossary, the games, the simulations — is built around one question: what does someone actually need to know to understand this?
Why Conflict Brief exists
International relations shapes nearly every major challenge of our time — great power competition, climate negotiations, trade disputes, armed conflict, migration, and the rules that govern how states interact. Yet the frameworks that help us understand these dynamics remain locked inside academic journals and graduate programs most people never encounter.
Serious analysis should not require a graduate degree to access. It requires clear writing, honest sourcing, and genuine respect for the reader’s intelligence.
Conflict Brief publishes original analysis grounded in IR theory — realism, liberalism, constructivism, and beyond — and applies it to events that are actually happening. We explain the concepts behind the headlines, not just the headlines themselves. We tell you what Mackinder would say about China’s Belt and Road Initiative, not just that the Belt and Road Initiative exists.
The site is also a platform for interactive learning. The glossary, personality test, crisis simulation, and community polls are all designed around the same principle: the best way to understand IR theory is to use it, not just read about it.
The topics at the heart of Conflict Brief
Great Power Competition
US-China-Russia dynamics, alliance politics, and the shifting distribution of global power.
Security & Conflict
Armed conflict, hybrid warfare, deterrence, and the evolving character of modern war.
IR Theory & Concepts
Realism, liberalism, constructivism, and the frameworks that explain state behavior.
Non-State Actors
Cartels, terrorist organizations, multinational corporations, and their role in world politics.
Geography & Geopolitics
How site, situation, and physical geography shape the decisions states make.
International Law & Norms
Treaties, conventions, and the rules that govern — or fail to govern — state behavior.
Start exploring today.
Start with the free content — the glossary, the personality test, the articles. Or get full access with a one-time subscription.