The Balance Of Power And The Cold War - 1619 Words

Critically analyse the balance of power with two examples. The Balance of Power is a fiercely debated topic within the realm of international relations. Its true definition has been impossible to pin down and how it manifests itself has been argued over by many academics, in addition to this the idea is divided between the schools of thought that it is a force for preserving peace or a force for tension and war. This essay will look to examine the balance of power using retrospective analysis of historical events, focusing on the lead up to and the outbreak of WWI and its conclusion and the Cold war. Through this it can be hoped to find a clearer definition of the balance of power, whether it is really a balance analogous to a set of scales and whether the balance of power is a way of preserving peace and stability or whether it is on the whole, better termed as the balance of war, creating only tension and instability. Morganthau (Cited in Haas,1953, pp.445) argues that the Balance of power can be viewed as either a description of any state of international politics in relation to power distribution or a policy or action intending to distribute power. From this framework we can use the balance of power to both understand static moments in history to observe where power lies at that moment in time and to look at how states themselves actively implement foreign policy for their own power related interests whether that be looking to balance the set of scales or to tip themShow MoreRelatedThe Cold War System Theory: Demise of the USSR and Changes in the Balance of Power2098 Words   |  8 Pagesinteresting and at the same time controversial areas of study since the Cold War. The world silent conflagration determined a reconsideration of the way in which politics was conducted and the relations between states at the level of the balance of power and the importance of international actors. One of the most important aspects defined by the theory of international relations takes into account the fact that the balance of power represents a volatile reality that is always determined by the externalRead MoreWorld Wars and The Cold War Essay examples1312 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The twentieth century saw two lengthy and costly wars, which were then followed by a Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States. World War I was deemed the â€Å"Great War† but many did not anticipate another war after it just a mere twenty years later†¦a war that was even more intense than the previous one. The Cold War that began in 1947 and lasted until 1991 but had the term â€Å"zero-sum game† tethered to it. Two differing political systems, communist and capitalist, were atRead MoreThe Cold War And A Bipolar System1601 Words   |  7 Pagesbelieves that the rise of new nuclear powers is not a matter to be regretted. In Waltz s view, a major war would be essentially inconceivable. 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