One of the Great Debates in the Study of International Conflict Involves the Relation Between the Polarization of an International System and the Outbreak of War

One of the great debates in the study of international conflict involves the relation between the polarization of an international system and the outbreak of war. In its simplest form, this debate centers on whether "bipolarity" or "multipolarity" is more likely to lead to war. This paper analyzes these concepts with examples from World War I and the Korean War. More specifically, this paper will seek to answer the question as to why the United States waited three years in a mulitpolar world to go to war (World War One), and only 2 days in a bipolar world (Korean War). …