THE INTERNATIONAL BALANCE OF POWER AND THE BALKANS IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT

A close look into the Great Powers’ international policies is necessary to understand the politics of the Balkans. Balance of power is a mode of behavior that is intended to prevent the accumulation of greater international influence by a given actor or a group. In this sense, the term designates a guiding principle for individual states’ behavior. This occurs due to a balancing of inter-state power, the disempowerment of a stronger party, or the empowerment of a weaker actor. In the international arena, balance of power is often achieved through alliances and coalitions among a given number of states. In the late nineteenth- and early twentieth century, developments in various areas including security, imperialism and nationalism resulted in two grand coalitions –one between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy, and the other between Britain, France and Russia.