History Main / BalanceOfPower

* The ''Manga/OnePiece'' 'verse has a Balance of Power crucial to the overall plot of the story. Types A and B consist of Marine Headquarters versus the Four Emperors (The World Government's military and the four most powerful pirate crews in the world, respectively). In the middle are the Seven Warlords of the Sea, who (on paper at least) are a Type-C, aiding the World Government against the Emperors. However, almost all of them are carrying out their own agendas on the side and some of them have casual and even friendly contact with Emperors and up-and-coming pirates, making them more of an Type-E in practice. Threats to this balance include single-minded pirates like [[SpannerInTheWorks Monkey D. Luffy]] and the deliberate actions of [[LaResistance Dragon the Revolutionary]].

** Arguably BalanceOfPower is best thought of as a [[BigBookOfWar classic]] [[XanatosGambit strategy]] to ensure the survival of ''one'' faction(as witness Rhodes and Venice above), rather then a way to keep the general peace. In other words the main point is that other people are [[LetsYouAndHimFight fighting each other]] rather then ganging up on you.

* Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia of NineteenEightyFour; at any point, two are allied with each other, but the alliance always crumbles before the third is defeated because one of the two grows too powerful, and the alliances are reshuffled.

* [[IsaacAsimov Isaac Asimov's]] ''[[{{Foundation}} Foundation Trilogy]]'' starts out this way. As the Galactic Empire starts to decline, the planet of Terminus is surrounded by the 'Four Kingdoms', who are looking to expand their own influence. They've also reverted to primitive forms of technology though, so when Salvor Hardin, the Mayor of Terminus, lets slip to one of the Four Kingdoms' ambassadors that Terminus still has nuclear power, it looks like Terminus is going to get invaded for its technology. Hardin, the MagnificentBastard that he is, ''also'' let slip Terminus has nuclear power to the other three Kingdoms. None of the four kingdoms are willing to invade Terminus now, under threat of joint retaliation from the other three kingdoms.

* Some of the intrigue in ''TheGodfather'' comes from the families negotiating about this.

* The ''OnePiece'' 'verse has a Balance of Power crucial to the overall plot of the story. Types A and B consist of Marine Headquarters versus the Four Emperors (The World Government's military and the four most powerful pirate crews in the world, respectively). In the middle are the Seven Warlords of the Sea, who (on paper at least) are a Type-C, aiding the World Government against the Emperors. However, almost all of them are carrying out their own agendas on the side and some of them have casual and even friendly contact with Emperors and up-and-coming pirates, making them more of an Type-E in practice. Threats to this balance include single-minded pirates like [[SpannerInTheWorks Monkey D. Luffy]] and the deliberate actions of [[LaResistance Dragon the Revolutionary]].

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* The ''OnePiece'' 'verse has a Balance of Power crucial to the overall plot of the story. Types A and B consist of Marine Headquarters versus the Yonkou (The World Government's military and the four most powerful pirate crews in the world, respectively). In the middle are the Shichibukai, who (on paper at least) are a Type-C, aiding the World Government against the Yonkou. However, almost all of them are carrying out their own agendas on the side and some of them have casual and even friendly contact with Yonkou and up-and-coming pirates, making them more of an Type-E in practice. Threats to this balance include single-minded pirates like [[SpannerInTheWorks Monkey D. Luffy]] and the deliberate actions of [[LaResistance Dragon the Revolutionary]].

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** Some newly found soviet conversation logs from around 1990 proof that Margaret Thatcher was actively opposing the reunification of Germany even when the whole east of Europe was already revolting against the Soviets. Only to keep the Balance of Power intact.

* The ''OnePiece'' 'verse has a Balance of Power crucial to the overall plot of the story. Types A and B consist of Marine Headquarters versus the Four Emperors (The World Government's military and the four most powerful pirate crews in the world, respectively). In the middle are the Seven Warlords of the Sea, who (on paper at least) are a Type-C, aiding the World Government against the Emperors. However, almost all of them are carrying out their own agendas on the side and some of them have casual and even friendly contact with Emperors and up-and-coming pirates, making them more of an Type-E in practice. Threats to this balance include single-minded pirates like [[SpannerInTheWorks Monkey D. Luffy]] and the deliberate actions of [[LaResistance Dragon the Revolutionary]].

* Late in the story, ''{{Naruto}}'' has revealed that the bijuu and their jinchuuriki acted as a balance among the various nations. Fire and Suna, each having only one bijuu, allied with one another after the last war to deter Kumo and Iwa which both hosted two; Kiri's natural defenses and two bijuu allow it freedom in operation but it lacks the unity needed to take advantage of that. Taki's single bijuu and lesser standing make it an ideal buffer between Kumo and Fire. Most of the lesser villages align with other villages, have treaties via their daimyos, or are located in places where attacks will spark retribution from neighbors. The existence of a free bijuu would spur other villages to attempt to claim it and gain an advantage, thus necessitating its capture.

* Late in the story, ''{{Naruto}}'' has revealed that the bijuu and their jinchuuriki acted as a balance among the various nations. Konoha and Suna, each having only one bijuu, allied with one another after the last war to deter Kumo and Iwa which both hosted two; Kiri's natural defenses and two bijuu allow it freedom in operation but it lacks the unity needed to take advantage of that. Taki's single bijuu and lesser standing make it an ideal buffer between Kumo and Konoha. Most of the lesser villages align with other villages, have treaties via their daimyos, or are located in places where attacks will spark retribution from neighbors. The existence of a free bijuu would spur other villages to attempt to claim it and gain an advantage, thus necessitating its capture.

* MassEffect has Treaty of Farixen, which determines how many dreadnoughts each citadel species may have. Humans, who are limited to 1 per 10 turian, decide [[LoopholeAbuse to build carriers instead.]]

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* The ColdWar was very much about this, although the [[PeaceThroughSuperiorFirepower Superior Firepower]] and MnogoNukes meant that outright war was relatively unlikely. Instead, the US and USSR decided to fight by proxy. There is some variation as both the United States and Soviet Union were so powerful that even if one of them lost a useful ally like China the balance never shifted firmly in favor of the other side.
* The Peloponnesian War represents how the equation can go awry. It was very bad to be an E. Both A & B (Sparta and Athens) decided that the situation was a lot more stable if there weren't any Es around, and generally went about destroying them. Also, it was the Cs & Ds (like Corinth) who started and restarted the war between A & B, figuring that the worse off the superpowers were, the better off the medium powers were.

----

->'' Minister, Britain has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last five hundred years: to create a disunited Europe. In that cause we have fought with the Dutch against the Spanish, with the Germans against the French, with the French and Italians against the Germans, and with the French against the Germans and Italians. Divide and rule, you see. Why should we change now, when it's worked so well?''

-->'''-Sir Humphrey''', ''YesMinister''

* The ColdWar was very much about this, although the [[PeaceThroughSuperiorFirepower Superior Firepower]] and MnogoNukes meant that outright war was relatively unlikely. Instead, the US and USSR decided to fight by proxy.

'' Minister, Britain has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last five hundred years: to create a disunited Europe. In that cause we have fought with the Dutch against the Spanish, with the Germans against the French, with the French and Italians against the Germans, and with the French against the Germans and Italians. Divide and rule, you see. Why should we change now, when it's worked so well?''
'''-Sir Humphrey''', YesMinister

-->'' Minister, Britain has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last five hundred years: to create a disunited Europe. In that cause we have fought with the Dutch against the Spanish, with the Germans against the French, with the French and Italians against the Germans, and with the French against the Germans and Italians. Divide and rule, you see. Why should we change now, when it's worked so well?

-->''First we got the bomb, and that was good\\
'Cause we love peace and motherhood\\
Then Russia got the bomb, but that's okay\\
'Cause the balance of power's maintained that way...\\
'''-TomLehrer''', "Who's Next"

* The ''OnePiece'' 'verse has a Balance of Power crucial to the overall plot of the story. Types A and B consist of Marine Headquarters versus the Yonkou (The World Government's military and the four most powerful pirate crews in the world, respectively). In the middle are the Shichibukai, who (on paper at least) are a Type-C, aiding the World Government against the Emperors. However, almost all of them are carrying out their own agendas on the side and some of them have casual and even friendly contact with Emperors and up-and-coming pirates, making them more of an Type-E in practice. Threats to this balance include single-minded pirates like [[SpannerInTheWorks Monkey D. Luffy]] and the deliberate actions of [[LaResistance Dragon the Revolutionary]].

* The ''OnePiece'' 'verse has a Balance of Power crucial to the overall plot of the story. Types A and B consist of Marine Headquarters versus the Four Emperors(The World Government's military and the four most powerful pirate crews in the world, respectively). In the middle are the Seven Warlords of the Sea, who (on paper at least) are a Type-C, aiding the World Government against the Emperors. However, almost all of them are carrying out their own agendas on the side and some of them have casual and even friendly contact with Emperors and up-and-coming pirates, making them more of an Type-E in practice. Threats to this balance include single-minded pirates like [[SpannerInTheWorks Monkey D. Luffy]] and the deliberate actions of [[LaResistance Dragon the Revolutionary]].

** In ''FanFic/AeonEntelchyEvangelion'' the NEG and the Migou had a status quo for six years since the Fall of China, with no major morale-breaking loses for the NEG since then. [[spoiler:Then Mot shows up and destabilizes the Eastern Front]].

-->"I can't let the Nine-Tails be revived without a jinchuuriki, the balance of tailed beasts would be destroyed."\\
'''-Yondaime Hokage''' before his HeroicSacrifice, ''{{Naruto}}''