International Competition Below the Threshold of War: Toward a Theory of Gray Zone Conflict Jordán Enamorado, Javier Jesús Drawing on existing literature, this research offers a theoretical delineation of the gray zone conflict, that is, conflict below the threshold of armed conflict. It begins by identifying the characteristic features attributed to the gray zone to propose a definition of the concept. It then situates gray zone conflict within the framework of the International Relations theory of Realism before setting out the main lines of strategic action used. Lastly, it examines the various levels of escalation that can arise in conflict of this nature 2024-10-14T07:02:51Z 2024-10-14T07:02:51Z 2020 journal article Jordan, Javier. "International Competition Below the Threshold of War: Toward a Theory of Gray Zone Conflict." Journal of Strategic Security 14, no. 1 (2020) : 1-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5038/1944-0472.14.1.1836 Available at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/jss/vol14/iss1/1 https://www.jstor.org/stable/26999974 https://hdl.handle.net/10481/95878 10.5038/1944-0472.14.1.1836 eng open access University of South Florida