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The Paraguayan War and the Platine Balance of Power

Utilizing both primary and secondary literature, this study attempts to illustrate that the origins of one of Latin America’s most significant wars, the Paraguayan War (1864-70), are understandable only when viewed within the context of the historical development of the Rio de la Plata as a region. Adopting the framework provided by Robert N. Burr in his pioneering work on the South American continental balance of power system. “By Reason or Force: Chile and the Balancing of Power in South America, 1830-1905” (Berkely, 1965), this thesis examines one particular outgrowth of the historical process in the Rio de Plata: The development of a regional balance of power in the area. It also illustrates that such systems of international power politics are not necessarily promotive of stability and equanimity in the relations between nations: that balance of power systems are not static but constantly changing, and that such changes are conducive to friction, intrigue, and war.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:pdx.edu/oai:pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu:open_access_etds-3264
Date01 January 1975
CreatorsSchaefer, Robert H.
PublisherPDXScholar
Source SetsPortland State University
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
SourceDissertations and Theses

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