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Case Studies in Sanctions and Terrorism: Summary of economic sanctions episodes, 1914–2006

Case Studies in Sanctions and Terrorism

<< Case Studies Index

Summary of economic sanctions episodes, 1914–2006
(listed by year imposed)

Year
imposed		 Year
ended		 Principal
sendera		 Target
country		 Policy
goal
Success
scoreb
(scale
1 to 16)
Cost
to
target
(percent
of GNP)
         
1914 1918 United Kingdom Germany Military victory
12
7.1
1917 1918 United States Japan Shipping for Allies
4
0.8
1918 1920 United Kingdom Russia Destabilize Bolsheviks
2
4.1
1921 1921 League of Nations Yugoslavia Military disruption vs. Albania
16
–
1925 1925 League of Nations Greece Withdraw from Bulgaria
16
–
1932 1935 League of Nations Paraguay Settle the Chaco War
6
negligible
1932 1935 League of Nations Bolivia Settle the Chaco War
6
2.6
1933 1933 United Kingdom USSR Release British citizens
12
0.02
1935 1936 League of Nations Italy Withdraw from Abyssinia
2
1.7
1938 1947 United States Mexico Expropriation dispute
9
0.2
1939 1945 United States Germany Regime change
8
1.4
1939 1945 United States Germany Military victory
12
1.4
1940 1941 United States Japan Withdraw from Southeast Asia
1
0.9
1941 1945 United States Japan Regime change
8
1.9
1941 1945 United States Japan Military victory
12
1.9
1944 1947 United States Argentina Destabilize Perón
4
0.8
1946 Ongoing Arab League Israel Create Palestinian homeland
4
1.7
1948 1994 United States USSR, Comecom Impair military potential
6
0.2
1948 1955 USSR Yugoslavia Destabilize Tito government
1
–2.5
1948 1949 United States Netherlands Recognize Indonesia
16
0.2
1948 1949 USSR France Berlin blockade
2
negligible
1948 1949 USSR United Kingdom Berlin blockade
2
0.1
1948 1949 USSR United States Berlin blockade
2
0.1
1948 1948 India Hyderabad Assimilate Hyderabad
8
2
1949 1970 United States China Impair military potential
2
0.5
1950 Ongoing United States North Korea Regime change
1
1.2
1950 Ongoing United States North Korea Military impairment
4
1.2
1950 1953 United States China Military disruption, Korea
2
0.5
1951 1953 United States Iran Destabilize Mossadegh
12
14.3
1954 1984 Spain United Kingdom Sovereignty over Gibraltar
6
0.009
1954 1974 United States North Vietnam Military impairment
1
1.6
1954 1961 India Portugal Assimilate Goa into India
8
negligible
1954 1954 USSR Australia Repatriate Soviet defector
2
0.5
1956 1983 United States Israel Intermittent, various
4
0.1
1956 1962 United States Laos Destabilization
9
4.2
1956 1956 United States Egypt Suez nationalization
9
3.4
1956 1956 United States United Kingdom End Suez intervention
12
0.3
1957 1963 France Tunisia Assistance to Algerian rebels
2
0.9
1957 1962 Indonesia Netherlands Control of West Irian
8
0.7
1958 1959 USSR Finland Adopt pro-USSR policies
16
1.1
1960 1989 United States Cuba Destabilize Castro
1
3.9
1960 1989 United States Cuba Disruption of military adventures
8
3.9
1960 1970 USSR China Military impairment
4
0.5
1960 1962 United States Dominican Republic Destabilize Trujillo
12
1.9
1961 1965 United States Ceylon Expropriation dispute  
16
0.6
1961 1965 USSR Albania Destabilize Hoxha
1
0.6
1961 1962 United States German Democratic Republic Berlin Wall
2
–
1962 1994 United Nations South Africa End apartheid, Namibia
8
1.2
1962 1964 United States Brazil Expropriation, destabilization
12
0.6
1962 1963 USSR Romania Limit economic independence
2
–
1963 1974 Organization of African Unity Portugal Free African colonies
8
0.3
1963 1966 Indonesia Malaysia "Crush Malaysia"
2
1
1963 1966 United States Indonesia Regime change
8
2
1963 1966 United States Indonesia End "Crush Malaysia"
8
2
1963 1965 United States Egypt Military disruption, Yemen, Congo
12
1.4
1963 1963 United States South Vietnam Destabilize Diem
12
0.3
1964 1966 France Tunisia Expropriation
6
1.5
1965 1979 United Nations Rhodesia Majority rule
12
13
1965 1967 United States India Agriculture policy
16
0.08
1965 1966 United States Chile Reduce copper price
9
–
1967 1970 Nigeria Biafra End civil war
12
15.2
1968 1974 United States Peru Expropriation
12
0.7
1968 1968 United States Peru French fighter jets
1
0.7
1970 1973 United States Chile Destabilize Allende
12
1.5
1971 1971 United States Pakistan Military disruption
4
0.3
1971 1971 United States India Military disruption
4
0.1
1971 1971 United Kingdom Malta Defense agreement
6
4.4
1972 1979 United States Uganda Destabilize Amin
12
2.6
1973 1977 United States South Korea Human rights
4
1.8
1973 1974 Arab League Netherlands Support for Israel
9
4.0
1973 1974 Arab League United States Support for Israel
9
0.2
1974 1978 United States Turkey Military disruption, Cyprus
1
0.2
1974 1976 Canada India Nuclear proliferation
4
0.04
1974 1976 Canada Pakistan Nuclear proliferation
4
0.1
1975 1998 United States North Vietnam Account for MIAs, withdrawal from Cambodia
6
1.2
1975 1994 United States USSR Freer emigration
8
0.01
1975 1990 United States Chile Human rights, democracy
8
0.7
1975 1982 United States South Africa Nuclear policy
4
0.005
1975 1979 United States Kampuchea Human rights, deter Vietnamese
2
6.4
1975 1976 United States South Korea Nuclear proliferation
16
–
1976 Ongoing United States Arab League Antiboycott
6
0.04
1976 1981 United States Uruguay Human rights
6
0.3
1976 1977 United States Taiwan Nuclear policy
16
0.1
1977 2005 United States Guatemala Human rights
9
0.2
1977 1992 United States Ethiopia Human rights, expropriation
6
–6.3
1977 1984 United States Brazil Human rights
6
0.1
1977 1983 United States Argentina Human rights
6
0.1
1977 1981 United States Paraguay Human rights
6
0.1
1977 1981 United States El Salvador Human rights
6
0.5
1977 1979 United States Nicaragua Destabilize Somoza
12
1.0
1977 1978 Canada European Community Nuclear safeguards
9
0.002
1977 1978 Canada Japan Nuclear safeguards
9
0.01
1978 2004 United States Libya Destabilize Gadhafi
12
1.7
1978 2004 United States Libya Nuclear proliferation
12
1.7
1978 1988 China Vietnam Withdraw from Kampuchea
6
3.5
1978 1983 China Albania Anti-Chinese rhetoric
2
3.3
1978 1983 Arab League Egypt Camp David Accords
2
–0.4
1978 1982 United States Argentina Nuclear policy
4
negligible
1978 1982 United States India Nuclear policy
4
0.01
1978 1981 United States Brazil Nuclear policy
4
0.002
1978 1980 United States USSR Human rights (dissidents)
2
0.003
1979 1997 United States Pakistan Nuclear policy
1
1.0
1979 1990 United States Chile Assassination of Letelier
12
0.7
1979 1982 United States Bolivia Human rights, drugs
6
1.7
1979 1981 United States Iran Return hostages
12
3.8
1979 1979 Arab League Canada Planned embassy move
12
0.003
1980 2003 United States Iraq Terrorism
4
0.1
1980 1981 United States USSR Invasion of Afghanistan
2
0.04
1980 1981 United States USSR Impairment, Afghanistan
2
0.04
1981 1990 United States Nicaragua Destabilize Sandinistas
8
3.2
1981 1987 United States Poland Various, solidarity
9
0.1
1981 1986 European Community Turkey Restore democracy
6
0.2
1981 1982 United States USSR Impairment, Poland
1
0.03
1982 1991 Netherlands Suriname Human rights, Cuba-Libya influence
9
6.2
1982 1986 South Africa Lesotho Return South African refugees
16
5.1
1982 1982 United Kingdom Argentina Withdraw from Falklands
12
0.6
1983 1989 United States Romania Human rights, emigration