The Ending of the Cold War

Abstract

The states-system is an organic kaleidoscope. Historical forces of wealth, demography, military power, personal ambitions and ideology shake the pieces into constantly shifting patterns of alliances and enmity. But as we watch these changes occurring in the course of history we notice too that the component pieces of the picture alter in size. States grow, then shrivel; they rise and decline in power over the ages. And much of the fascination of the study of international relations lies in the attempt to understand how the various patterns work: whether a single state becomes so massively powerful as to be utterly dominant; whether several great powers, with minor allies perhaps, can be kept in balance with each other; whether rapid changes in relative power can be managed without the violence of war.