Strategic Deterrence and the Balance of Power: Reassessing the Foundations of Great-Power Relations in the Nuclear Age Introduction The emergence of nuclear weapons fundamentally transformed the theoretical and practical foundations of international politics. For centuries, the balance of power constituted the dominant framework for understanding great-power relations. From the European state system following the to … Continue reading To what extent does the concept of strategic deterrence supersede the traditional balance of power paradigm in explaining great-power relations?