22 Apr Balance of Power
(GS PAPER- 2, Multi-Polar World
Source- The Hindu)
What is the Balance of Power:
Balance of Power is a state of stability between competing forces. In international relations, It refers to equilibrium among nations or alliances to prevent any one entity from becoming too strong and thus gaining the ability to embrace its will upon the rest.
Technically Balance of Power is important because it is a system in which peace can be kept among a large number of states when there is no hegemon among them. The sides can constantly work to keep any one of them from getting too strong and coming to be able to threaten the others.
Current World Status:
Balance of Power in world politics has originated with the emergence of the Westphalian world order. Since the structure of international politics is anarchical, self-help is the only means to ensure survival. In its original sense Balance of Power is based on the concept of multipolarity. It can be achieved by internal and external balancing of self-help. In international relations, there is no permanent friend or enemy except national interest.
Balance of Power was a way for European countries to manage and establish peace in the continent.
World War 2 ended into bipolar world order with the emergence of two superpowers. The power of a superpower cannot be balanced by other nations. Therefore Scholars stated that the concept of Balance of Powers failed because it was to respect the sovereignty and a bipolar world.
Way Forward :
Now a new form of Balance of Power emerged between two super-power and the alternative of Balance of Power is established like collective security, collective defense where collective ownership of security should not be the concern of the state alone. One for all and all for one concept is applied.
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