POLSCI 160 Lecture 11: Balance of Power, Power Transitions, & the Capabilities of States
24 Jan 2019
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Document Summary
Presumption: int"l system is anarchy, states share perception, only applicable to pre-industrial world. States maximize security to preserve existence of state. Ex: coalitions vs. charles v, louis xiv, napoleon, hitler. Balancing behavior = states prevent other state(s) from becoming too powerful. Power transition: power over time triggered by industrialization. Presumption: only 1 challenger, only applicable to industrial world. Foreign policy cannot prevent industrialization cannot prevent power shift. Challenger = state rising in power if from satisfied coalition, in power resolved peacefully. 1800s: gb dominates b/c of industrialization, russia 2nd power, france & Austria major powers, germany rises to power thru unification, japan & us emerge as powers. 1900s: gb & france lose power, italy & germany & japan fall, china emerges as power, us becomes superpower, us & soviet union = rivals. Satisfied coalition = states who accept order established by dominant state. Dissatisfied coalition = states who reject order established by dominant state.
