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The Balance Of Power In The Cold War

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The balance of power is not only a theory crucial to the study of war and one of the most enduring concepts of international relations, but is often seen as the only reliable strategy in a world of extremely formidable and influential states. The balance of power refers to situations whereby major powers maintain equilibrium through alliances in order to ensure peace.. It is however important to note that it is difficult to explicitly define the balance of power as highlighted by Inis.L.Claude (1962, pp 85) “the trouble with the balance of power is not that it has no meaning but that it has too many meanings”. Despite a variation of interpretations, for the most part they all emphasis the same general principles and belief that states should ally with one another to prompt a world of equal ability and ensure power is distributed fairly in terms of military, economic and political, to preserve peace at an international level. In order for the balance of power to exist in an a chaotic realm, there must be no less than two states that strive for self-preservation. For some, the balance of power can be seen as a crucial factor in the political sphere that has allowed opposing states to cooperate despite any differences in culture, religion, or political ideology, and ultimately contributed to the prevention of war. In cases like the Cold War that will be discussed throughout the essay it is evident that the existence of equilibrium clearly avoided the use of force as both sides

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