Zusammenfassung der Ressource
What is the balance of power, and how effective is it in preventing war?
- What is the balance of power?
- Even distribution of power between rival blocs
- An inherent tendency in international affairs to produce an even distribution of power
- Cold War bipolarity
- relies on an equilibruim between two poles - USSR and USA
- Realists
- War is avoided
- Prevents triumph of dominant power
- No Total War since WW2
- MAD - attack would be unsuccessful
- Liberals
- Legitimises state egoism
- States compete to become the hegemon
- Fosters military growth
- Nuclear Arms Race
Anmerkungen:
- Lead to Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962
Even other states began to stockpile nuclear weapons - though none on a scale similar to the superpowers.
- Proxy War
Anmerkungen:
- Just because no direct action took place, wars were fought via proxy - Afghanistan (US funded Mujahideen to fight Soviet-led Afghans) and Vietnam (North Vietnam - USSR and South Vietnam - US)
- Absense of Total War could have been luck