Balance of Power

Methods of Exercising Balance of Power

Critical Evaluation of BOP

1.BOP cant ensure peace
2.Nations are not static units. 3.Preponderance of one power can also secure peace. 4.Narrow basis. 5.A mechanical view of peace. 6.Equality of a number of states a Myth. 7.Nations are not free to break Alliances at their will.

Methods of BOP
1.Compensation
2. Alliances 3.Intervention and Non-Intervention

4.Devide and Rule

5.Armaments and Disarmaments 6. Buffer states or Zones 7.The Holder of the Balance or Balancer

Critical Evaluation of BOP

8.Uncertainty of BOP.
9.Unreality of BOP. 10.Inadequacy of BOP.

11.BOP has lost much of its relevance in contemporary times.

Relevance of BOP in Contemporary Times

1. End of European Domination of I.P.
2.Changes in Psychological Environment. 3.The rise of propaganda, Psychological and Political Warfare as Instruments of national Policy. 4.Emergence of Ideology as a key factor in post war International Relations.

5.Reduction in the Number of major Powers.

Relevance of BOP in Contemporary Times

6.The Emergence of Bi-polarity and its recent transformation into Uni-polarity.
7.The disappearance of Colonialism and Imperialism. 8.Disappearance of the Balancer. 9.The change in the concept of War. 10.The emergence of global Actors.

 The concept of BOP, despite having lost much of its validity,is still a meaningful concept in I.P. The second world war inflicted a very severe blow to the international system. In the post war international relations, BOP came to be quite obsolete or at least it lost much of its relevance.It was no longer regarded as the director of International relations.