According to the realist perspective, how did concerns over the balance of power lead to the start of World War I?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Varies. The unification of Germany in 1871 upset the balance of power in Europe; the territory of Germany had once been a buffer zone between Great Britain and France in the west and Russia, Austria, and Prussia in the east. As Germany increased its power so that it could be more secure, it provoked a security dilemma, and its neighbors, in turn, increased their own power to become more secure. One realist interpretation argues that Germany’s power and location made encirclement and confrontation inevitable; the security dilemma drove Germany and its neighbors to conclude alliances that became rigid and to plan for military mobilization. Eventually, Germany started a preemptive war. A second realist interpretation argues that Germany was afraid that Russia would surpass it in power around 1916–1917, and therefore; Germany launched a preventive war to prevent future Russian domination. A third realist interpretation argues that the decline of British hegemony allowed other states, like Germany, to challenge the existing order.