Verified Document

Realism And The End Of Seminar Paper

Realists and Their Critics

Predictive failure: realism through structural realism failed to predict the fall of the U.S.S.R. And instead foresaw stability in the bipolar system. However, no theory considered the idea of the way in which the Cold War would end. Even so, theorists did not have a clear understanding of the actual capabilities of the two actors because these capabilities contain non-material aspects as well.

Correlation between "power" and "change": it is difficult to make because a clear focus must be placed on the need of the U.S.S.R. To revitalize its economy in order to maintain its power in the 1980s that may have brought about the change. Further, this correlation is based on the internal and international factors such as the increase in numbers of the civil society or the industrialization of the West. The need for reform however was caused by the "the system-wide decline in socialism's economic performance" and "and the Soviet Union's awful geopolitical position, with every other major power in the entire world, in every region, allied or aligned against Moscow" (p110). The changes that were made by Gorbachev were eventually induced to him by the overall negative...

And on socialism.
Anomalies of the end of the Cold War

There are three anomalies considered for the end of the Cold War: "the Soviet Union's decision to withdraw from East-Central Europe, the highly cooperative behavior of the other great powers; and the absence of great-power war" (p115). These can be explained however by the fact that unlike perceptions, the reality of the actual capabilities of the U.S.S.R. was different from the official image. It was mandatory to withdraw from the East because they did not have the capabilities to intervene to protect socialism and the doctrine already proved weak in states such as Poland or Germany. The conciliatory behavior of the West in regard to the U.S.S.R. was justified through the fact that the U.S. In particular realized that the power shift is for the West and the politics in Russia would somewhat accept this. Finally, the absence of a great power war is explained by the fact that the U.S.S.R. decided to adjust to change through reform and retrenchment rather than through war.

Conclusion

The realist theory did not fail to explain the fall of the Soviet Union and all its elements. No theory would have been able to do so particularly because of the complex nature of the phenomenon. The case study is important for future research because it provides a framework of analysis of other complex events. The lessons learned from this study are related to the need to have a causal analysis of events and to include more theoretical aspects from different approaches, in order to provide a more complex analysis of the international relations.

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Realism Some Literary Critics and
Words: 3589 Length: 12 Document Type: Research Proposal

The other qualities of a superior being remained forbidden thus making the reality of their imperfect world even more difficult to bare. Borges used the invisible reality in his short stories to speculate on some themes that were on people's minds since the beginning of human civilization. He used his writing skills to create a work of fiction that made the world of existential questions possessing men's minds became real

Realism Pakistan
Words: 1480 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Realism v. Institutionalism Realism vs. Institutionalism and the Middle East Crisis Until fairly recently, the dominant theoretic rubric most analysts of international relations operated under was the theory of realism. The international relations theory of realism holds that each nation-state in the global community operates as a unified, rational actor. Realism as a theory was born and evolved at the same time as the modern conception of the nation-state was coming into

Realism Seeing Local Color an
Words: 624 Length: 2 Document Type: Essay

Although Sarah Orne Jewett's New England is far from Twain's Mississippi, Jewett's use of description and dialogue allows readers to see the exotic New England nature and wildlife in addition to experiencing their social culture as vividly as Twain did along the river. Through both Sylvia's initial search for the cow and her pilgrimage to view the Heron in "A White Heron," Jewett not only describes a young girl's struggle

Realism in 19th Century European Art
Words: 1208 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Realism In the early- to mid-1800s, Europe began undergoing a major transformation. The Industrial Revolution, as it is known by historians, radically changed the manner in which the world produced its goods. It also altered society from primarily agricultural to industrial and manufacturing. This new revolution brought significant levels of poverty and despondency to the new working class. The artistic form of Realism emerged as a result of these socio-economic changes.

Realism: Monet and Debussy As
Words: 647 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

It is as if the art was improvised, much like Monet's portrait of flowers gives the impression that the artist simply happened upon a cluster of flowers one day, and was moved to paint by the beauty he saw before him. Of course, it must be argued that neither composition, although they create such an extemporaneous impression, was truly spontaneous. Both works were carefully and consciously planned by the artist

Realism Depicted in the Glass
Words: 894 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

She tells Laura to stay "fresh and pretty for gentlemen callers" (348) because they "come when they are least expected" (348). There is no excuse for this kind of behavior, especially a mother. Hope emerges in the play through Laura and Tom. Laura demonstrates hope when her favorite unicorn is broken. She is clearly saddened by the act but somehow, she manages to see something positive in it. She realizes

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now