The present thesis analyses and clarifies the phenomenon of hybrid warfare. While the term has established its place in the political lexicon, current definitions and explanations are inadequate and unhelpful. This thesis addresses that shortfall by providing a concise strategic definition and a unifying theory of hybrid warfare. As a thesis grounded in the Realist tradition, the analysis focuses on the strategic implications with a view to aid in practical policy-making. Following a theoretical examination of the context and the intellectual history of the term, hybrid warfare is defined as a deliberately opaque blend of conventional and unconventional warfare. The rules of the international order and its 'guardian powers' are a key to understanding hybrid warfare and this thesis provides that understanding through the concept of the quinity. Based on the trinity, a concept emanating from Clausewitzian thought, the quinity blends traditional notions of war with the contemporary international order. The unique set of circumstances which such a combination creates is then combined with the proposed definition and operationalised through an examination of the defence policies and doctrines of the leading global powers. Hybrid warfare, whether practiced by state-like actors like Hezbollah, or states like Russia and China, can be said to represent the future of warfare, at least in the near- to mid- term. As a form of warfare which is not limited to any one domain, hybrid warfare is examined in its land, air, and maritime iterations by analysing the cases of the 2006 Lebanon War, the 2014 Ukraine crisis, and the South China Sea disputes. Its combination of opaqueness, effectiveness, impact, and strategic surprise makes it a carefully balanced and finely calibrated tool of international coercion.

This dissertation studies topics in the areas of international finance. In the first chapter, the Unintended Consequences of Financial Sanctions, I study the economic impact of the U.S. financial sanctions against Russian companies in the aftermath of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. I show that this sanctions program, which primarily cut off access to international financial markets for sanctioned firms, produced an unintended consequence of strengthening the sanctions targets relative to their unsanctioned peers. Specifically, while the policy successfully halted new international borrowings by sanctioned companies, the spillover impact of the policy resulted in these targets shrinking in size by less than unsanctioned Russian firms. To explain these results, I argue that sanctions led to a reallocation of domestic resources in favor of sanctioned firms. In particular, sanctions precipitated capital crowding out and credit rationing, causing unsanctioned domestic borrowers to suffer more from the policy. The research highlights the limitation of "targeted sanctions" and also sheds light more broadly on the impact of international financial integration and capital flows on firm size dynamics. In the second chapter, Quantitative Analysis of Sanctions Policy, I theoretically and quantitatively analyze the impact of financial sanctions on the target firms and the target economy. I introduce a heterogeneous firm model with segmented capital markets and financial frictions in which sanctions against international borrowers led to capital crowding out and credit rationing among domestic borrowers. I calibrate the model to the 2014 U.S. financial sanctions episode and use the model to estimate the impact of sanctions on firm sizes and macroeconomic variables. I also evaluate policy alternatives and identify factors for policymakers to consider in calibrating future sanctions programs. I conclude by discussing the 2022 sanctions program and inferring broader policy implications. In the third chapter, the Impact of Monetary Policy on the Specialness of U.S. Treasuries, I estimate the causal effect of monetary policy on the specialness of U.S. Treasuries. Quantifying this specialness by the U.S. Treasury Premium, which is the difference in the convenience yield of U.S. Treasuries and that of government bonds of other developed countries measured as the deviation from covered interest parity between government bond yields, I find that monetary tightening by the Federal Reserve increases the specialness of U.S. Treasuries primarily by increasing the convenience yield of U.S. Treasuries. I also find that the magnitude of the impact varies across the term structure and across countries, especially after the Global Financial Crisis, and U.S. and foreign monetary policy shocks have asymmetric impacts on the specialness of U.S. Treasuries. These results provide evidence for the unique ability of the Federal Reserve to affect the specialness of U.S. Treasuries by altering the supply of dollar safe assets.

We have an opportunity not only to interact with 3D content but also to immerse ourselves in it via Virtual Reality (VR). This work is deeply inspired by my experience as a Ukrainian witnessing the recent turmoil in my homeland. I wanted people around the globe to experience the horrors that are unfolding. The Voice of the People, explores narrative storytelling through VR. Ultimately, the viewer will be able to put on a VR headset and become deeply immersed in the story. With this technology, the user intimately experiences the war and devastation created by Russian occupation first hand. The end of World War II is a critical time in my country’s history. Included in the 3D environment are video segments of those affected by the current Russian occupation; historical themes underscore the narrative and help the viewer understand the recurring aggression by Russia that is part of Ukraine’s history. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.F.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection