Lapatsanun Patcharanarapong
GST 6320 Peace and Conflict
November 18, 2012
Prof. Richardson
Global Studies
Northeastern University
Introduction
The concept of ‘status quo’ is one of maintenance of distribution of power at any given point in time and the preservation of such. The term is derived from ‘status quo ante bellum’ which refers to maintaining the peace treaties and settlements that stabilized the region since the last general war. Thus status quo is about keeping things the way it is, its motive is to preserve and not necessarily gain, boast or heavily influence any new positions that may break the balance. To apply it in current times and specifically to the new and less known form of war- unconventional terrorist war…show more content… States have usually relied on some combination of their own armaments and alliance commitments promising military assistance from outside their boundaries. States that are unable to mobilize significant resources and political support for military preparedness over foreign policy autonomy or independence may have a strong incentive to entrust their security to the promises of allied support such as in the case of the Vietnam conflict. In short, minor powers are likely to fall into the category of dependence on allied support, namely military, because their rather limited capability often do not allow them to shift significant resources from domestic welfare to military preparedness. (Minor Powers, Alliances, And Armed Conflict: Some Preliminary Patterns, 1982, p.14) Major power war is as described. It is a conflict amongst major players, which could lead to the shift of international power. As Levy indicates, hegemonic war is defined as the direct competition between existing dominant powers and its rising competitors, and participation by all major states and most minor states in an international system. It is important to mention hegemony when referring to major power war since it is a major contributing force. Hegemony is defined as an ability of one major power to impose its dominance by simultaneously controlling
