POLI 244 Chapter Notes - Chapter VOL.44 N°2: Security Dilemma, Blitzkrieg, Buck Passing
6 Oct 2015
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Document Summary
Politics between powers turns with diplomatic alliances that can be maintained or disrupted. Alliances are made usually with one motive: the fear of others and to protect themselves. Alliances oblige countries to follow a deadly vicious circle. The pattern of behaviour that led to ww1 is that states chain themselves with reckless allies. The pattern that preceded ww2 is states that passed the buck, hoping to stop a rising. Structure of the international system determines international behaviour and foreign policies. As one member of the chain-gang stumbles off, the others must follow (effet domino) > neither buck passing nor chain-ganging can arise in bipolarity: superpowers do not have to chain themselves to smaller power, superpowers do not pass the buck since smaller states can"t confront the other superpower. Each state old an interest in passing the cost of its own defence to its allies, because the costs. The security dilemma variables for the alliance behaviour before ww1 and ww2: technology.
