Realism In International Relations

International relations is the study of the political and social interaction of state, non-state actors, and individuals. It is a universal descriptor used to emphasize a multifaceted and multidisciplinary subject area. There are contesting theories which seek to simplify and describe the contemporary world of international affairs. Realism is one of its theories, which characterizes the international political system as anarchic, comprised of states possessing military capabilities, and distinguished by inter-state power competition. Realism mentions about human behavior and the nature of the international system that practice ‘self-help’ to ensure the state’s ‘survival’ by means of power. Realism also offers international relations theorists

Balance of power widely developed by Kenneth Waltz is a paradigmatically typical example of the world’s political trends. Balance of power refers to the means by which a state is likely to manipulate its ability, for example by forming an alliance with other states, simply to capture more powerful or to become superior state. For example, NATO is sometime referred to as the Atlantic Alliance. It was established in 1949 with protecting the security of Western Europe. It was set up not only to deter an attack on Europe by the Soviet Union, but also to alley West European fears of revival of German militarism (Martin Griffiths,Terry O'Callaghan&Steven C. Roach, 2007). Moreover, from the political perspectives, US does so simply and mainly to balance its power with China who apparently seems cunning and bullying over many world’s issues. Another example that indicate this term is Cold War. Between 1947 and 1991, the international system was dominated by bipolarity; Russia and United States had the status of superpower and, as Mearsheimer suggests, due to the balance of power determined by the bipolar system, “the post-war era, the period of the Cold War, has been much more peaceful” (Voinea,

In addition, this concept defines the fact that the states in anarchical system could not let their national interests left behind and thus their national survival endangered. They must fight and struggle for the better. Regarding its definition, the government of each state must seek the resolution to protect their population from aggression. According to US invasion in Iraq, the US claimed Saddam Hussein obtained weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and was close to achieving nuclear capabilities, which was believed to be a national security threat to the US (Riley, 2008), hence, the US used its military superiority to topple Saddam’s regime. As a result, in 1991 the UN and the international community came to support Kuwait, which had been invaded by Iraq, yet in 2003 the US unilaterally invaded Iraq and the UN was unable to stop the invasion.

In conclusion, realism makes a major contribute to the current situation in international relations. Realism imply over the intricate reasons behind international system, thus it assists in understanding the causes of conflict and crucial decisions in world politics. Through the case study presented, these theory has shown that Realist concept such as anarchy, self-help, balance of power, security dilemma, and national interest can be used effectively in the explanation of contemporary