Welcome to Conflict Brief
Not sure where to begin?
Conflict Brief has articles, games, glossaries, quizzes, study tools, and reference resources — quite a lot of it. This page points you to the right starting point depending on why you are here.
Take 30 seconds to find your path below ↓
Who are you?
Pick the description that fits best — each path leads to the most useful starting points.
I study IR — or I am about to
Undergraduate, postgraduate, or preparing for an IR programme. You want study tools, theory reference, and thesis help.
Your starting path
1
Take the IR Theory Personality Test — find your framework2
Browse the 118-term IR Glossary for revision3
Try the IR Topic Finder to brainstorm thesis ideasGo to student tools →
I follow the news and want to understand it better
No IR degree required. You want clear explanations of why things happen — written for anyone, not just academics.
Your starting path
1
Read one of the articles — written for curious non-specialists2
Play Guess the Country — 85 countries, IR-themed clues3
Browse the Quotes Library — the thinkers behind the headlinesStart with the articles →
Free · No account needed
The best free tools to start with
Everything here is free. No login, no signup — just click and use.
IR Theory Personality Test
10 questions. Find out if you think like a Realist, Liberal, Constructivist, or Critical theorist.
Free · 5 mins
IR Glossary
118 terms from Anarchy to Zero-Sum Game. Searchable, with related terms and full definitions.
Free · Reference
Guess the Country
Identify countries from IR-themed clues about alliances, disputes, and foreign policy. 85 countries.
Free · Game
IR Career Finder
Not sure which IR career suits you? Answer questions about your working style and goals.
Free · 5 mins
Treaty Timeline
41 major treaties from Westphalia (1648) to today. Interactive, filterable, with Read Document links.
Free · Reference
The IR Reading List
15 essential books for IR students and curious readers — from Morgenthau to Tim Marshall.
Free · Books
Analysis · Grounded in IR theory
Start with one of these articles
Each article takes a real event and explains it using the frameworks IR scholars actually use. Sourced, argued, and written to be read — not skimmed.
Security · Hybrid Warfare
Russia’s Drone Incursions: Hybrid Warfare at NATO’s Border
What the drone incursions into NATO airspace tell us about hybrid warfare, escalation thresholds, and the grey zone between peace and war.
→
Non-State Actors · IR Theory
Narcos as IR Actors: Non-State Power in a Multipolar World
Drug cartels as geopolitical actors — how transnational criminal organisations challenge state sovereignty and reshape regional security.
→
Soft Power · Sport Diplomacy
Sport, Diplomacy, and Soft Power: Lessons from the 2026 World Cup
How the 2026 FIFA World Cup became a case study in soft power, sportswashing, and the geopolitics of international sporting events.
→
Premium · One payment · Lifetime access
If you are an IR student — the toolkit
One €20 payment gives you lifetime access to all of these. Built for exam revision, dissertation research, and building a deep theoretical foundation.
IR Flashcard Deck
85 cards covering every glossary term. Shuffle mode, progress tracking, “Got it / Not sure” marking.
Premium
International Law Quiz
40 questions across IHL, UN Charter, ICJ, and Treaty Law. Every question sourced to official documentation.
Premium
IR Topic Finder
AI-powered thesis brainstorming. 8 questions, 10 personalised thesis topics matched to your theory, region, and level.
Premium · AI
Get The IR Student Toolkit — €20 →
One payment · Lifetime access · All premium tools included