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Journals / Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 31 Sayı: 2

Proxy Wars on the Edge of Systemic Wars: A Comparative Analysis of the Spanish Civil War and the War in Ukraine

Sistemik Savaşların Eşiğinde Vekalet Savaşları: İspanya İç Savaşı ve Ukrayna Savaşı’nın Karşılaştırmalı Analizi

Kartal Batuhan Olkan(Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Biga İktisadi ve idari Bilimler Fakültesi Uluslararası İlişkiler Bölümü)0000-0003-4150-3627
Pages
102–113
Publication Date
2026-08-31
DOI
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Since the War in Ukraine remains an ongoing conflict, the comparison does not claim a definitive historical equivalence; rather, it suggests that proxy wars can serve as indicators of broader systemic transformation during periods of intensified great-power rivalry.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This article compares the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and the War in Ukraine (2014-present) through proxy war theory and principal-agent relations to examine how these conflicts relate to structural transformations in the international system.
📊
Key Findings & Data:It asks whether these two wars can be interpreted as precursors to broader systemic confrontations among great powers.
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Conclusion & Impact:Since the War in Ukraine remains an ongoing conflict, the comparison does not claim a definitive historical equivalence; rather, it suggests that proxy wars can serve as indicators of broader systemic transformation during periods of intensified great-power rivalry.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2014 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Vekalet Savaşı · İspanya İç Savaşı · Ukrayna Savaşı

Abstract

This article compares the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and the War in Ukraine (2014-present) through proxy war theory and principal-agent relations to examine how these conflicts relate to structural transformations in the international system. It asks whether these two wars can be interpreted as precursors to broader systemic confrontations among great powers. The study employed a qualitative methodology; the literature and secondary sources were evaluated through comparative historical analysis. The comparison is organized around four analytical dimensions: forms of external intervention, ideological polarization, military technology, and positioning within the international system. The findings show that the Spanish Civil War represents a classical proxy war marked by overt military intervention, sharp ideological division, and conventional military technologies. By contrast, the War in Ukraine reflects a hybridized form of proxy warfare shaped by long-range weapons systems, cyber operations, satellite-enabled support, and private military companies. Since the War in Ukraine remains an ongoing conflict, the comparison does not claim a definitive historical equivalence; rather, it suggests that proxy wars can serve as indicators of broader systemic transformation during periods of intensified great-power rivalry.

Özet

Bu makale, İspanya İç Savaşı (1936-1939) ile Ukrayna Savaşı’nı (2014-günümüz) vekalet savaşı paradigması ve asil-vekil ilişkileri çerçevesinde karşılaştırarak bu çatışmaların uluslararası sistemdeki yapısal dönüşümlerle nasıl bağlantılandığını incelemektedir. Çalışmanın temel araştırma sorusu, söz konusu iki savaşın büyük güçler arasındaki daha geniş ölçekli sistemik çatışmaların ön habercisi olup olmadığıdır. Araştırmada nitel yöntem benimsenmiş; karşılaştırmalı tarihsel analiz yoluyla literatür ve ikincil kaynaklar değerlendirilmiştir. İnceleme; dış müdahale biçimleri, ideolojik kutuplaşma, askerî teknoloji ve uluslararası sistemde konumlanma olmak üzere dört analitik eksen üzerinden yürütülmüştür. Bulgular, İspanya İç Savaşı’nın açık askerî müdahale, ideolojik saflaşma ve konvansiyonel savaş teknolojileriyle şekillenen klasik bir vekalet savaşı örneği sunduğunu göstermektedir. Buna karşılık Ukrayna Savaşı, uzun menzilli silah sistemleri, siber operasyonlar, uydu desteği ve özel askerî şirketler gibi unsurlarla hibritleşmiş ve çok katmanlı bir vekalet savaşı biçimini temsil etmektedir. Bu karşılaştırma, Ukrayna Savaşı’nın devam eden niteliği nedeniyle nihai bir tarihsel eşdeğerlik iddiası taşımamakta; ancak vekalet savaşlarının sistemik dönüşüm dönemlerinde büyük güç rekabetini görünür kılan göstergeler olarak ele alınabileceğini ortaya koymaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Olkan, K. B. (2026). Proxy Wars on the Edge of Systemic Wars: A Comparative Analysis of the Spanish Civil War and the War in Ukraine. Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, Cilt: 31 Sayı: 2, 102–113. https://ajindex.com/articles/1545554

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