Defence and Diplomacy

Military Power and Diplomacy in Inter-State Relations

Military power is the principal instrument of a sovereign State to protect and defend its national interests, especially its security interests, vis-à-vis foreign powers. Unless a country has a credible military deterrent about which the other side is aware, the latter could be tempted into launching an attack. Military power is also a critical, in some cases the most important, element of a State's offensive arsenal to influence the behaviour of other States and to promote its own interests on the international stage. It was the British navy's ‘gunboat diplomacy’ that successfully advanced Britain's national interests overseas and created the British Empire. Today, it is the ability of the US to project military power ...