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BALANCE OF POWER (BOP):BoP from a historical perspective

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International Relations-PSC 201
VU
LESSON 07
NATIONAL INTEREST (CONTINUED FROM LECTURE 6)
Variations in National Interest
There are different types of national interest. Some of the salient ones are described below:
Primary Interests: preservation of physical, political and cultural identity of the nation-state.
Secondary Interests: protection of citizens abroad and ensuring diplomatic immunity of foreign missions.
Permanent Interests: long-term interests of strategic, ideological or economic nature which do not change
easily, with changes in domestic politics, for example
Variable Interests: these are short-term interests varying with cross-currents of personalities, public opinion,
partisan politics, sectional interests etc.
General Interests: involve a large number of nations, such as economic interests or diplomatic norms.
Specific Interests: location and issue specific interests emerging from more general interests (bilateral terms of
trade for example).
Identical Interests: interests held in common by different states (climate protection concerns)
Complementary Interests: though not identical, these interests can serve as basis for agreement on specific
issues (US-Pakistan security cooperation).
Conflicting Interests: bring countries at odds with each other. Yet these interests can also undergo change due
to varying internal circumstances and a changing external scenario.
Means to Promote National Interests
Coercive Means: these can be internal so that they don't infringe directly on other sovereign nations
(embargos, boycotts, severing diplomatic relations) or they can be external and are a prima facie act of war
(seizure of property of offending state, suspension of treaties), if the other state responds with escalating
moves, it leads to an outbreak of war.
Alliances: based on complementary or identical interests and strengthened by ideology, alliances can promote
national interest.
Diplomatic Negotiations: common interests are most effectively perpetuated by means of diplomacy.
Diplomacy is also useful in negotiating conflicting national interests without resorting to coercive means.
National vs. Global Interests
Given the complexities of international politics, Morgenthau for e.g. opposes state action based on universal
principles, instead he advocates a pragmatic approach of acting based on national interests.
Yet, issues of global concern like growing inequalities and environmental problems require world leaders to
think beyond the narrow ambit of national interests. The world is also becoming increasing interconnected
due to which national interests often exert an influence on global interests and global interests to some
degree also compel national interests.
Relevant Vocabulary
Coercive elements: potentially destructive elements which can lead to escalating tensions or cause outbreak of
violence
Scenario: existing situation
Partisan: division into factions or different parties
Perpetuated: affected or enabled
Ideological: based on an ideology or belief system
Ambit: realm, domain or field
Inequalities: the gap between the haves and the have nots
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International Relations-PSC 201
VU
Compel:
oblige
or
influence
Suggested Reading:
Students are advised to read the following chapters to develop a better understanding of the various
principals highlighted in this hand-out:
Chapter 3 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:
Promoting the National Interest
www.foreignaffairs.org/20000101faessay5/condoleezza-rice/
campaign-2000-promoting-the-national-
interest.html
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International Relations-PSC 201
VU
LESSON 08
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 1815­1914.
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.
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
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International Relations-PSC 201
VU
Intervention: intrusion or interference
Alliance: grouping or association to serve a specific purpose
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
Table of Contents:
  1. WHAT IS INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHAT IS ITS RELEVANCE?
  2. APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: THEORIES IN IR
  3. APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:Traditional Approach
  4. THE NATION-STATE SYSTEM:Further Evolution of Nation-State
  5. THE NATION STATE SYSTEM: BASIC FEATURES OF A NATION-STATE
  6. NATIONAL INTEREST:Criteria for Defining National Interest
  7. NATIONAL INTEREST:Variations in National Interest, Relevant Vocabulary
  8. BALANCE OF POWER (BOP):BoP from a historical perspective
  9. BALANCE OF POWER (CONTINUED):Degree of Polarization, Functions of BoP
  10. DIPLOMACY:How Diplomacy Functions, Traditional Versus Modern Diplomacy
  11. DIPLOMACY (CONTINUED):Diplomatic Procedures & Practices, Functions of Diplomacy
  12. COLONIALISM, NEO-COLONIALISM & IMPERIALISM:Judging Colonization
  13. COLONIALISM, NEO-COLONIALISM & IMPERIALISM:Types of Neo-Colonialism
  14. COLONIALISM, NEO-COLONIALISM & IMPERIALISM:Objectives of Imperialism
  15. NEW INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORDER:Criticism of IEO, NIEO Activities
  16. NEW INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORDER:Prerequisites for the NIEO
  17. NON-ALIGNMENT MOVEMENT:Origin of NAM, NAM’s Institutional Structure
  18. NON-ALIGNMENT MOVEMENT (CONTINUED):Cairo Summit, Egypt - 1964
  19. NON-ALIGNMENT MOVEMENT:Criticism of NAM, NAM and Pakistan
  20. THE COLD WAR AND ITS IMPACTS - INTRODUCING THE COLD WAR PHENOMENON
  21. THE COLD WAR AND ITS IMPACTS (CONTINUED):Truman Doctrine, Marshal Plan
  22. THE COLD WAR AND ITS IMPACTS (CONTINUED):End of the Cold War
  23. DISARMAMENT AND ARMS CONTROL:History of Disarmament
  24. DISARMAMENT AND ARMS CONTROL (CONTINUED):Other Disarmament Efforts
  25. THE RELEVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
  26. THE RELEVANCE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (CONTINUED)
  27. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:Need for IGOs, Categorizing IGOs
  28. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (CONTINUED):United Nations, Criticism of the UN
  29. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (CONTINUED):European Union, World Bank
  30. THE ROLE OF DECISION MAKING IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
  31. DECISION MAKING (CONTINUED):Rational Actor Model, Group Politics Model
  32. SYSTEMS APPROACH TO IR:Underlying Assumptions, Elements of the System
  33. SYSTEMS BASED APPROACH (CONTINUED) – DISTINCT SYSTEMS IN IR
  34. LIBERALISM AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY:Neoliberalism
  35. LIBERALISM AND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY (CONTINUED):Liberalism vs. Social Democracy
  36. INTEGRATION IN IR:Preconditions for Integration, Assessing Integration
  37. GLOBALIZATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS:Advocates of Globalization
  38. THE GLOBAL DIVIDE:World Social Forum, Can the Global Divide Be Bridged?
  39. FOCUS ON FOREIGN INVESTMENTS:Pro-poor Foreign Investments
  40. CONFLICT AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION:Components of a Conflict
  41. CONFLICT RESOLUTION:Creative response, Appropriate assertiveness
  42. THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT:Global Concern for the Environment
  43. THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT:Environmental Concerns and IR, Some Other Issues
  44. HOW IR DIFFER FROM DOMESTIC POLITICS?:Strategies for altering state behavior
  45. CHANGE AND IR:Continuity in IR, Causality and counterfactuals, IR in a nutshell