Abstract
Friedrich von Gentz’s Fragments upon the Balance of Power in Europe1 is a classic because it is the first book to deal explicitly with balance of power theory and, as any classic should, to raise fundamental questions about war and peace. Can sovereign and independent states coexist or is there an inevitable trend toward preponderance? Is anarchical balance the normal state of affairs or is hierarchical domination? Is self-interest (or national interest) a sufficient precondition for equilibrium or is more needed? What is the relation between domestic and foreign politics in a balance of power system, and what is the role of war (intervention), diplomacy and law?
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Notes
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© 1994 Jürg Martin Gabriel
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Gabriel, J.M. (1994). Classical Theories. In: Worldviews and Theories of International Relations. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230390034_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230390034_3
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
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