Balance of Power International Relations Theory

A Balance of Power International Relations Theory is an international relations theory that suggests states may secure their survival by preventing any one state from gaining enough military power to dominate others, leading to an equilibrium of power among nations.

• Context:
  • It can (typically) involve states forming alliances to counterbalance a more powerful state or coalition, ensuring that no single state achieves overwhelming dominance.
  • It can (often) result in the formation of defensive coalitions when a state becomes too powerful, as neighboring states seek to maintain stability by joining forces.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a strategy employed by small states seeking protection, to being a deliberate policy of major powers aiming to maintain international stability.
  • ...
  • It can be contrasted with Bandwagoning, where states align themselves with a stronger power instead of opposing it.
  • It can be influenced by the Polarity (International Relations) of the international system, with different dynamics in bipolar, multipolar, and unipolar systems.
  • It can be criticized by Constructivism (International Relations), which challenges the assumptions of power-centric stability in international relations.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • European Balance of Power strategy in the 19th century, where European states formed shifting alliances to prevent any single power from dominating the continent.
  • Cold War bipolar balance of power between the United States and the Soviet Union, where both superpowers engaged in strategic alliances to counter each other's influence.
  • Treaty of Westphalia (1648), which established a new balance of power in Europe by recognizing the sovereignty of states and establishing the principles of territorial integrity and non-intervention.
  • Triple Alliance (1882) between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, which was formed as a counterbalance to the growing influence of France and Russia in Europe.
  • NATO Alliance, established in 1949, which aimed to counterbalance the military power of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
  • Warsaw Pact (1955), which was a military alliance of Soviet and Eastern European nations formed to counterbalance NATO.
  • Concert of Europe (1815-1914), where the major powers of Europe worked together to maintain a balance of power and prevent the rise of any one dominant state.
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • Hegemonic Stability Theory, which argues that a single dominant power can provide stability in the international system, as opposed to a balance of power.
  • Isolationism, where a state chooses not to engage in balancing or forming alliances, focusing on its own affairs instead.
• See: Constructivism (International Relations), International Relations, Sovereign State, National Security, Military Capability, Coalition, Realism (International Relations), Wikt:Equilibrium, Power (International Relations), Balancing (International Relations), Bandwagoning, Buck-Passing.

---

---

References

2024

• (Wikipedia, 2024) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balance_of_power_(international_relations) Retrieved:2024-8-24.
  • The balance of power theory in international relations suggests that states may secure their survival by preventing any one state from gaining enough military power to dominate all others.If one state becomes much stronger, the theory predicts it will take advantage of its weaker neighbors, thereby driving them to unite in a defensive coalition. Some realists maintain that a balance-of-power system is more stable than one with a dominant state, as aggression is unprofitable when there is equilibrium of power between rival coalitions. When threatened, states may seek safety either by balancing, allying with others against the prevailing threat; or bandwagoning, aligning themselves with the threatening power. Other alliance tactics include buck-passing and chain-ganging. Realists have long debated how the polarity of a system impacts the choice of tactics;however, it is generally agreed that in bipolar systems, each great power has no choice but to directly confront the other. Along with debates between realists about the prevalence of balancing in alliance patterns, other schools of international relations, such as constructivists, are also critical of the balance of power theory, disputing core realist assumptions regarding the international system and the behavior of states.

---