Marked changes in the balance of power between states in the international system are generally seen by IR scholars as among the most common causes of war. This book explains why such power shifts lead to war breaking out in some cases, but not in others.

Dong Sun Lee is assistant professor of international relations at Korea University, Seoul. He has a Phd in International Relations from the University of Chicago.

1. Introduction 2. A Strategic Theory of Preventive War 3. The Russo-German Rapprochement, 1870-90 4. The Schlieffen Plan and the First World War 5. Pearl Harbor Attack Plan and the Pacific War 6. Conclusion. Appendix: Coding Cases of Power Shifts