Balance of power

Introduction: The balance of power is the core theory of international politics within the realist
perspective. A “balance of power” system is one in which the power held and exercised by states
within the system is checked and balanced by the power of others. Thus, as a nation’s power
grows to the point that it menaces other powerful states, a counter-balancing coalition emerges
to restrain the rising power, such that any bid for world hegemony will be self-defeating. The
minimum requirements for a balance of power system include the existence of at least two or
more actors of roughly equal strength, states seeking to survive and preserve their autonomy,
alliance flexibility, and the ability to resort to war if need be. At its essence, balance of power is
a type of international order.
Definition of Balance of power: Balance of power, the posture and policy of a nation or group of
nations protecting itself against another nation or group of nations by matching its power against
the power of the other side. States can pursue a policy of balance of power in two ways: by
increasing their own power, as when engaging in an armaments race or in the
competitive acquisition of territory; or by adding to their own power that of other states, as when
embarking upon a policy of alliances. Hans. J. Morgenthau— “it refers to an actual state of affairs
in which power is distributed among nations with approximately equality.” Palmer and Parkins,
“It (Balance of power) is the equilibrium of type represented by a pair of scale. When the weights
in the scale are equal, balance result.” Balance of Power ensures the preservation of small and
weak states. Its rule that no nation is to be completely eliminated, favors the continued existence
of all states. Each state feels secure about its security in the balance of power system.
The balance of power is a certain kind of arrangement for international relations working in a
multi-state world. The balance of power in international politics refers to the distribution of
power and influence among different states or groups in the international system. It is the
principle that no single state or group should be able to dominate or control others, and that a
balance of power among them is necessary to maintain stability and prevent conflict.

Nature of Balance of Power: Palmer and Perkins describe several major features of Balance of
Power (BOP)-
1. Some Sort of Equilibrium in Power Relations: The term Balance of Power suggests ‘equilibrium
which is subject to constant, ceaseless change. In short, though it stands for equilibrium, it also
involves some disequilibrium. That is why scholars define it as a just equilibriums or some sort of
equilibrium in power relations.
2. Temporary and Unstable: In practice a balance of power always proves to be temporary
and unstable. A particular balance of power survives only for a short time.
3. To be Actively Achieved: The balance of power has to be achieved by the active intervention of
men. It is not a gift of God. States cannot afford to wait until it “happens”. They have to secure it
through their efforts.
4. Favors Status quo: Balance of power favors status quo in power positions of major powers. It
seeks to maintain a balance in their power relations. However, in order to be effective, a foreign
policy of balance of power must be changing and dynamic.
5. The Test of BOP is War: A real balance of power seldom exists. The only test of a balance is war
and when war breaks out the balance comes to an end. War is a situation which balance of power
seeks to prevent and when it breaks out, balance power comes to an end.
6. Not a Device of Peace: Balance of Power is not a primary device of peace because it
admits war as a means for maintaining balance.
7. Big Powers as Actors of BOP: In a balance of power system, the big states or powerful states
are the players. The small states or less powerful states are either spectators or the victims of
the game.
8. Multiplicity of States as an Essential Condition: Balance of Power system operates when there
are present a number of major powers, each of which is determined to maintain a particular
balance or equilibrium in their power relations.
9. National Interest is its Basis: Balance of Power is a policy that can be adopted by any state. The
real basis that leads to this policy is national interest in a given environment.

Types of the Balance Of Power:

The balance of power has the following forms:
Simple Balance: If power is concentrated in two states or two opposing camps, the balance of
power is simple. This type’s chief characteristic is that states or groups of states are divided into
two camps like the two scales of the balance. In simple balance, the power distribution between
the two opposing camps is almost equal. The United States and the Soviet Union individually, and
the Eastern and the Western block collectively, were examples of the simple balance in the post-
war period of bipolarism.
Complex Balance: When there is a wide dispersal of power among states, and several states or
groups of states balance each other, the balance is called multiple or complex. There need not
be a single system; instead, there may be many subsystems or local balances of power within a
system. The multiple balance can be compared to a chandelier. A complex balance may or may
not have a balancer. A simple balance may turn into a multiple or complex balance and vice versa.
Local, Regional, and Global: Balances may, in terms of their geographical coverage, be spoken of
as local, regional, and global. If it is at the local level, the balance is local, like we may speak of
the balance of power between India and Pakistan. It is regional, if an area or a continent, say
Europe or Asia, is involved. It is global or worldwide if all the countries participate in it through a
network of alliances and counter alliances.
Flexible and Rigid: Sometimes, balances have also been known as rigid or flexible. When princes
could make sudden and radical shifts in their alliances in the monarchical days, the balance was
generally flexible. With the coming of ideologies and greater economic interdependence, the
balance of power has tended to become rigid.
Techniques to maintain Balance of power:
Alliances and Counter-Alliances: The balance of power has often been maintained by the method
of alliances and counter alliances. Alliances have been the most convenient institutional device
to increase one’s insufficient power. Nations have always endeavored to make, abandon, and
remake alliances depending upon their interests. Several security pacts are clearly designed to
improve the military power position. Alliances can be offensive as well as defensive.
Offensive alliances, however, must be condemned as they breed counter coalitions, and the
outcome is generally warred. The Triple Entente countered the triple alliance of 1882 in 1907.
Similarly, the Axis formed in 1936 was a counterweight against France and East European nations’
alliance. The strange Alliance of the Second World War was a reaction against the Axis powers. It
was, however, formed with a defensive purpose in the post-Second World.
The US, with its allies, formed NATO, SEATO CENTO, etc., and the USSR countered them with the
Warsaw Pact.
Compensation and Partition: A state enhances its power by acquiring new territories and thus
tilts the balance in its favor. When such a thing happens, the other side also takes immediate
steps to increase its own power in compensation to preserve the balance. When some powerful
nation occupies small nations’ territories, the powerful rival nations cannot tolerate this act. They
place a condition either to share their prey with them or to allow them to compensate
themselves elsewhere under such conditions.
The powerful rival nations divide small nations and swallow their share of the prey. Poland’s
partition and later on its division between Russia, Prussia, and Austria is a well-known example
of compensation and partition. After the Second World War, Germany, Korea, and Vietnam were
partitioned similarly.
This method involves the redistribution of territory so that the international balance of power is
not affected. Each Great Power becomes a beneficiary and a weak state of their victim. Generally,
such redistribution arises after the war, yet it may also be needed during peacetime.
Intervention and Non-Intervention: Intervention is another commonly used device for keeping
balance. The allies may shift their loyalty from one side to another. Under such circumstances, it
is quite usual for a big nation to regain a lost ally by intervening in domestic affairs and
establishing a friendly government there.
Non-intervention suggests neutrality or guarantee of neutrality for certain states or efforts to
localize war or protect the rights of neutrals in war times. At times neutrality also plays the role
of keeping the balance of power.
Before the end of World War II, Britain intervened in Greece to see that it did not fall into the
hands of local communists. After World War ll, the United States intervened in Guatemala, Cuba,
Lebanon, Laos, Kuwait, etc., and the Soviet Union in North Korea, North Vietnam, Hungary,
Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, etc.
Divide and Rule: It is a time-honored policy as well as a technique. This method keeps the
competitors weak by dividing them or keeping them divided, thereby maintaining a balance of
power. The Romans adopted it to keep their control over scattered peoples. Britain often used it
to keep its large empire under control. She has been a notorious practitioner of this policy. It has
been her cardinal policy towards Europe.
Now this policy has become a device of the balance of power. Both the superpowers have
endeavored to create divisions in the opposite camp. If the Soviet Union was interested in
Western Europe’s disintegration, the USA was interested in creating a rift in the East European
camp led by the Soviet Union.
Buffer States: The setting up of a buffer state has also operated as another device of the balance
of power. Such a state is usually a weak one. It is situated between two powerful neighbors. It
always keeps safety apart by contributes to peace and stability and maintains the balance of
power.
There have been various instances of buffer states in history. Afghanistan had been a traditional
buffer state between Imperial Russia and British India, as Tibet was a buffer state between
Imperial China and British India. In Europe, Belgium and Holland had served as buffer states
between France and Germany.
In the post-Second World War period, various lines, as the 38th Parallel in Korea or the 17th
Parallel in Vietnam, on partitioned countries, and the ceasefire zones are indirectly serving the
cause of buffer states in a new world situation. They are also designed to prevent a confrontation
of Superpowers and thereby preserve a balance of power.
MERITS OF BALANCE OF POWER
• It is a source of stability in international relations
• It helps continuous adjustments and readjustments in relations without any grave risk of
war among nations.
 • It ensures multiplicity of states.
• It guarantees the freedom of small states.
• It discourages war. • It checks imperialism
• It is a source of peace in international relations
DEMERITS OF BALANCE OF POWER
• BoP cannot ensure peace. In fact several wars were fought in the name of preservation
of BoP.
• Preponderance of one power can also secure peace.
• It has a narrow basis. It fails to give proper weight age to other socioeconomic, cultural
and moral factors.
• Equality of number of states is a myth
• Nations are not free to break alliances at their will.
• It is uncertain
Conclusion: The balance of power has been a central concept in the theory and practice of
international relations for the past five hundred years. It has also played a key role in some of the
most important attempts to develop a theory of international politics in the contemporary study
of international relations. Another basis for the realist theory is the idea of a balance of power
and the anarchic nature of the global system as there is no effective global government and the
world system is anomic (without rules). This ties in well with the idea of global relations being
one of self help and each state striving to promote its own interests at the expense of others. In
short, realists see the global system as one of self help. The idea of the balance of power is put
in place to explain the situation where states will ally themselves to prevent the hegemony of
one state over all others. Balance of Power, theory and policy of international relations that
asserts that the most effective check on the power of a state is the power of other states.