The Theory of Kenneth Waltz - Article Example

Waltz introduces the micro-level of man and his behavior in the analysis of international relations. In his own words, “the locus of the important causes of war is found in the nature and behavior of man” (Waltz, p. 16). At the beginning of the Cold War, there were leaders of the USA and USSR who were not satisfied with the result of the post-war balance of power. On the one hand, Stalin as a Soviet ruler tried his best to control more territories within the borders of his huge country through the support of Communism there. In fact, we know that countries like Poland and Hungary joined the Soviet camps after these actions. On another hand, Truman’s doctrine and Marshall’s plan appeared in response to these actions from the Soviet people. In particular, these Americans created thinking of Soviet expansion as a threat to the USA. As a result of these misunderstandings between Soviet and American leaders, we deal with Cold War.
Secondly, Waltz stresses the differences between states as the background of the conflict in the world. In fact, he distinguishes “good” and “bad” states, based on their willingness to break global peace. In the context of the Cold War, Truman’s doctrine openly discussed the necessity to involve in the domestic affairs of foreign countries. In other words, the USA appeared as the “bad state,” because it wanted the conflict to start. However, the Soviet Union had the same intention but did not show it openly. In particular, Soviet leaders considered the democratic USA as an ideological “bad state” based on capitalism in contrast to “good” communism. This ideological struggle led to the appearance of the Cold War.
Finally, Waltz concentrates on anarchy within international relations as the source of war. In this part, he considers both individual and state behavior as an outcome of the prevailing logic of thinking about the world. Because of this, the establishment of any international institutions to manage global conflicts will never be successful. Since states are rational and use their own interest to guide their behavior in the international system, the appearance of the Cold War was inevitable. Read More