Defensive realism and the Concert of Europe
Why do great powers expand? Offensive realist John Mearsheimer claims that states wage an eternal struggle for power, and that those strong enough to seek regional hegemony nearly always do. Mearsheimer's evidence, however, displays a selection bias. Examining four crises between 1814 and 1840,...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
British International Studies Association
2006
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/540/ |
| _version_ | 1848790428506128384 |
|---|---|
| author | Rendall, Matthew |
| author_facet | Rendall, Matthew |
| author_sort | Rendall, Matthew |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Why do great powers expand? Offensive realist John Mearsheimer claims that states wage an eternal struggle for power, and that those strong enough to seek regional hegemony nearly always do. Mearsheimer's evidence, however, displays a selection bias. Examining four crises between 1814 and 1840, I show that the balance of power restrained Russia, Prussia and France. Yet all three also exercised self-restraint; Russia, in particular, passed up chances to bid for hegemony in 1815 and to topple Ottoman Turkey in 1829. Defensive realism gives a better account of the Concert of Europe, because it combines structural realism with non-realist theories of state preferences. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:12:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-540 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:12:28Z |
| publishDate | 2006 |
| publisher | British International Studies Association |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-5402020-05-04T20:30:15Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/540/ Defensive realism and the Concert of Europe Rendall, Matthew Why do great powers expand? Offensive realist John Mearsheimer claims that states wage an eternal struggle for power, and that those strong enough to seek regional hegemony nearly always do. Mearsheimer's evidence, however, displays a selection bias. Examining four crises between 1814 and 1840, I show that the balance of power restrained Russia, Prussia and France. Yet all three also exercised self-restraint; Russia, in particular, passed up chances to bid for hegemony in 1815 and to topple Ottoman Turkey in 1829. Defensive realism gives a better account of the Concert of Europe, because it combines structural realism with non-realist theories of state preferences. British International Studies Association 2006 Article PeerReviewed Rendall, Matthew (2006) Defensive realism and the Concert of Europe. Review of International Studies, 32 (3). pp. 523-540. ISSN 0260-2105 Europe Great powers hegemony 1814 1840 Russia Ottoman Turkey Concert of Europe http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=461173&fileId=S0260210506007145 doi:10.1017/S0260210506007145 doi:10.1017/S0260210506007145 |
| spellingShingle | Europe Great powers hegemony 1814 1840 Russia Ottoman Turkey Concert of Europe Rendall, Matthew Defensive realism and the Concert of Europe |
| title | Defensive realism and the Concert of Europe |
| title_full | Defensive realism and the Concert of Europe |
| title_fullStr | Defensive realism and the Concert of Europe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Defensive realism and the Concert of Europe |
| title_short | Defensive realism and the Concert of Europe |
| title_sort | defensive realism and the concert of europe |
| topic | Europe Great powers hegemony 1814 1840 Russia Ottoman Turkey Concert of Europe |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/540/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/540/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/540/ |