Politics Among Nations

The Atlantic Alliance, also called the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), is a military alliance that includes nations from across Western Europe and North America. It was originally established to counter the spread of the Soviet Union and its satellite states in Eastern Europe. Morgenthau cites the Atlantic Alliance as an effective example of an international organization whose existence is illustrative of the possibility of a future world state.

A balance of power occurs when one nation or group of nations reaches a political and military equilibrium with another nation or group of nations; this equilibrium discourages both sides from going to war. Morgenthau believes that balances of power play a vital role in international relations; this concept has resurfaced across history, especially in the history of early modern Europe. A historical example would be the balance of power that existed between France and Austria in 16th-century Europe.

Although a détente is not a complete peace, it is best defined as a state of diplomatic relations between two countries in which a normally hostile relationship is eased. The term is used to describe the foreign policy of US Presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter toward the Soviet Union.