During the past few centuries the struggle for power amongst European states has resulted in its actors joining and switching alliances to prevent one state from dominating the others in a classic example of balance of power politics. This essay aims to show how the role of the European actors was changed as a consequence of World War Two resulting in the end of balance of power politics and a shift from a multipolar to a bipolar world.
Prior to the Second World War the European state system was multipolar, dominated by five major powers namely France, England, Germany, Russia and Italy, none of who were strong enough to dominate the rest (Waltz, 1979; Mansbach, 2000). Coalitions and alliances were critical during this period and this
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