Myths of the European State System: Balance of Power, Concert of Europe, Integration
Author(s)
Kruger, Peter
Abstract
The notions of balance of power, the 19th century Concert of Europe, and post-1945 European integration are prevalent among historians and theorists of international relations; yet they are more mythical than real. While balance of power has occasionally been explicitly sought and achieved, as a paradigm of international relations it is woefully inadequate, rarely ever taking precedence within the host of other considerations that nations (or other entities) must reckon with in dealing with one another. The so-called Concert of Europe following the Napoleonic wars and the ongoing integration of Europe in the 20th century have similarly been simplistically mythicized, imposing an abstract ideal on a congeries of multifaceted relationships. In all three cases, the mythification has at various times been either positive or negative.
