Geography
The Security Dilemma and Arms Races in International Relations
Quick fact
The security dilemma can lead to wars that neither side wants: in the decades before World War I, the major European powers each built up their armies and navies defensively, but the resulting arms race and mutual fear made a small conflict in the Balkans escalate into a devastating global war.
Why this is interesting
Imagine two neighbors, each afraid of the other, buying bigger locks and higher fences—yet each addition only makes the other more nervous. In international politics, this is the security dilemma: how can efforts to feel safer actually make everyone less safe?