Politics Among Nations

The Problem of Peace in Our Time

In Western history, people have long sought to establish peace, either through a universal empire like the Roman Empire or through international coalitions and organizations. Since the 18th century, there has also been a hope that scientific and economic developments would make war “obsolete” (418). Instead, the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars made peace more of a pressing issue; these conflicts led to the emergence of nationalism as a powerful international force, disrupted the established balance of power, and once again seemed to make a universal empire a possibility. In the years since the Napoleonic Wars, nations have been motivated to find a lasting solution to the problem of war.

History of Disarmament

Morgenthau defines disarmament as “the reduction or elimination of certain or all armaments for the purpose of ending the armaments race” (419). This approach contrasts with arms control, which is an effort to regulate the types or amounts of weapons. A general disarmament is an agreement between all nations on general military weaponry. (Historically, disarmament agreements have mostly failed.)

In the 19th century, European powers made a number of unsuccessful attempts to establish a general disarmament.