Research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world

Past Event
Seminar

Strategies of Expansion: How Great Powers Rise

Open to the Public

The rise of great powers is one of the key factors in international relations. Yet, scholars and policymakers know little about what strategies great powers use to ensure their rise. The speaker argues that the choice between aggressive and passive strategies is explained by the great powers' relative capabilities.

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.

Date: Time: - Location: Littauer Building - Belfer Center Library, Room 369
Operation Barbarossa: Panzer IV and Panzer II tanks with crew crossing a field in the Soviet Union, June 1941.

About

The rise of great powers is one of the key factors in international relations. Yet, scholars and policymakers know little about what strategies great powers use to ensure their rise. The speaker argues that the choice between aggressive and passive strategies is explained by the great powers' relative capabilities. Two factors are at play, making the relationship non-linear. A great power becomes continuously better to defeat its targets individually when it grows stronger. However, once it has established itself as the strongest state, any attempt of expansion will be stopped by a balancing coalition. Such states will, therefore, become peaceful, until their power grows further and enables them to aggressively make hegemonic bids.

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.

Full photo credit: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-265-0040A-22A / Vorpahl / CC-BY-SA 3.0