Does humanitarian military intervention save lives as intended? Or does it perversely embolden rebels and ignite the spiral of violence that it seeks to prevent? Such questions lie at the heart of a new and lively controversy in international politics. "Gambling for Humanitarian Intervention" explores whether the emerging norm of intervention has backfired by exacerbating violence in conflicts such as Kosovo, leading to the unnecessary deaths and ethnic cleansing of innocent civilians. Leading academics explore the problem, including when it is likely to occur and what can be done to mitigate unintended consequences - without abandoning intervention. Sceptics weigh in as well, citing conceptual and theoretical problems in blaming intervention for the exacerbation of violence, and suggesting alternative frameworks for these causal relationships. Several of the authors conclude with prescriptions to ensure that future interventions halt violence, as intended, rather than tragically worsening it. This book was previously published as a special issue of "Ethnopolitics".