Power, Alliance, and Major Wars, 1816-1975
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6285587 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Woosang Kim (0000-0002-0927-7749, Texas A&M University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1989 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 255-273 |
| Publication date | 1989-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Conflict Resolution (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-0027 • E-ISSN: 1552-8766 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0022002789033002004 |
| OpenAlex | W2099638231 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 44 |
| References cited | 15 |
For years, students of international politics have attempted to explain seemingly contradictory perspectives about the relationship between power distribution and the onset of war, and between alliance formation and the incidence of war. Power transition theorists claim that war is most likely when power is equally distributed among nations and that alliances have little or no impact on the likelihood of major wars, whereas balance-of-power theorists suggest that war is less likely when power is equally distributed and that alliances play a critical role in the incidence of war. In this research, several propositions suggested by the power transition theory are tested for major war cases from 1816 to 1975. The main findings show that alliances play a significant role in the incidence of major wars and that the probability of war increases when the two alliance coalitions, not the two nations in a dyad, have approximately equal power. These findings confirm neither the balance-of-power perspective nor the view of the power transition model. In addition, the power transition and the rate of growth hypotheses claimed by the power transition theory are not empirically supported
Alliance · Balance (ability · Dyad · Economics · International relations · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Power (physics · Sociology · Transition (genetics · Corruption and Economic Development · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Psychology · Qualitative Comparative Analysis Research · Social Psychology
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Difficult decisions
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Measuring National Power
Capability concentration, power transition, and war
Classical deterrence theory
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Absolute and limited war
Status Quo Preferences and Disputes Short of War
The Security Curve and the Structure of International Politics
Patrons, clients, and allies in the Arab‐Israeli conflict
Déjà Vu All Over Again
Tau-b or Not Tau-b
Power Parity, Commitment to Change, and War
Power Differentials and War in Rival Dyads
Power Transitions and Great Power War from Westphalia to Waterloo
Pride of Place
Power Shifts and Problem Shifts
Must We Fear a Post-Cold War Multipolar System
Power Parity, Preponderance, and War between Great Powers, 1816-1989
System Uncertainty, Risk Propensity, and International Conflict among the Great Powers
Explaining Wars of Choice
A Political Economy of Aid
Dangerous Liaisons
Alliance Transitions and Great Power War
When Do Power Shifts Lead to War
How Democratic Alliances Solve the Power Parity Problem
The Opposition Advantage
Neorealism and the myth of bipolar stability
Dyadic Hostility and the Ties That Bind
The Continuation of History
Alliance Formation and Conflict Initiation
System and process in international politics
War and Change in World Politics
Politics Among Nations
A Diplomatic History of Europe Since the Congress of Vienna
Measuring Systemic Polarity
Power Parity and Lethal International Violence, 1969–1973
Arms Races and Escalation
Overwhelming Preponderance as a Pacifying Condition Among Contiguous Asian Dyads, 1950–1969
Dyadic International War 1816-1965
War and the Cycle of Relative Power
Power, Alliance, and the Escalation of International Conflict, 1815-1965
| Unique citing works | 44 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1,22 |
| Citation span | 1990 - 2025 (36) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 44 |