IR Handout 8 PDF

International Relations: Theory and Practice Handout for Lecture 8 Lecture Topic Balance of Power (BoP) Definitions of BoP The equilibrium of power among members of the family of nations as will prevent any one of them from becoming sufficiently strong to enforce its will upon the oth...

International Relations: Theory and Practice Handout for Lecture 8 Lecture Topic Balance of Power (BoP) Definitions of BoP The equilibrium of power among members of the family of nations as will prevent any one of them from becoming sufficiently strong to enforce its will upon the others. The power equation between states is based on an assessment of each state’s relative power capabilities and this assessment provides the basis for the conduct of relations between them. BoP from a historical perspective From 1648 (Peace of Westphalia) to 1789 (French Revolution) was a golden age of classical balance of power, when the princes of Europe began accepting BoP as the supreme principle of foreign policy. Evident use of BoP is also noted in the mid-17th cent., when it was directed against the France of Louis XIV. Balance of power was the stated British objective for much of the 18th and 19th cent., and it characterized the European international system, for example, from 1815–1914. The Concert of Europe (from 1815 to1870) provides another good example of major European states striving to achieve balance power. The increasing the power of Germany began seeing bipolar set of alliances form, leading to the World Wars. After World War I, the balance of power system was attacked by proponents of cooperation and a community of power. International relations were changed radically after World War II by the predominance of two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, with major ideological differences between them. After the 1960s, with the emergence of China and the third world, a revived Europe and Japan, it reemerged as a component of international relations. With the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the United States, as the sole remaining superpower, has been dominant militarily and, to a lesser degree, economically. 22 Some BoP Techniques Alliances (NATO) and Counter-Alliances (WARSAW Pact) Armament (arms race in the Subcontinent spurred by need to maintain BoP) and Disarmament (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) Intervention (Soviets and US incursion into Afghanistan) and Non- Intervention (France and Britain did not interfere in Spanish civil war of 1936) Kinds of BoP Simple or Complex: Simple BoP requires parity between powers but in more complex situations competing powers can achieve balance from additional sources. General or Particular: General BoP lacks a preponderant power whereas particular BoP can imply regional preponderance. Subjective or Objective: BoP based on appearances is subjective and fragile whereas that based on actual capabilities is objective and more stable. Fortuitous or Contrived: Fortuitous BoP is not based on particular policies whereas contrived BoP is based on conscious policies of either or both sides. Relevant Vocabulary Assessment: estimation based on analysis Fortuitous: unexpected or chance Capability: capacity or the ability to achieve or do something Preponderance: prevalence or hold Fragile: subject to change, unstable Intervention: intrusion or interference Alliance: grouping or association to serve a specific purpose 23 Suggested Readings Students are advised to read the following chapters to develop a better understanding of the various principals highlighted in this hand-out: Chapter 5 in ‘“A Study of International Relations” by Dr. Sultan Khan. Internet Resources In addition to reading from the textbook, please visit the following web-pages for this lecture, which provide useful and interesting information: Balance of Power http://www.bartleby.com/65/ba/balancPow.html 24