Balance theory and International Relations
Especially in the geopolitical climate of today , how countries interact with each other are vital for growth and stability. As we can all see with the current Russia-Ukraine crises, when relationships between international countries crumble, it effects everyone on the world because we are all connected. Every move in the network of international relations has an effect on others, whether that be directly or through a chain effect. One of the main reasons for the Soviet Union (now Russia) joining WW1, (the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Serbia) was because of a strong relationship between them, among a network of allies.
While the beginning of WW1 was a complex network of countries declaring war on each other, this event in particular could be illustrated as a balanced triad between 3 countries: USSR, Serbia, and Austria-Hungary. In this triad, there are negative links connecting Austria-Hungary to both Serbia and USSR, and a positive link between Serbia and USSR. So, does this triad effect other countries relationships with each other? We have all heard the saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”, so is this true? Balance theory can be characterized by a psychological need of balance. So, if a relationship, especially in a triad is deemed unbalanced by one party (i will call this A), they will have the motivation to fix the imbalance, by deciding:
- person B isn’t as bad as once thought; or
- person C isn’t as great as once thought
So, does this happen? I believe yes. to defeat Germany in WW2, the US and USSR ‘allied’ to fight Germany on both fronts, even though we all know they are not conventional allies. The Chinese aided North Korea during the Korean war, and the US aided the Viet Minh during the Vietnam War just to support positive relations in their networks in the face of opposition.
Therefore, Balance theory in networks is extremely prevalent in International politics. A relationship between one country directly effects the decision making of another as balance in relationships is a need for us.