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The period following World War II until the current day, marks an unprecedented decrease in direct armed conflict between the great powers which has become known as the Long Peace. During this period, armed conflict as a means of great power interaction has "receded into the background" [50] in favour of varying forms of cooperation, coercion, and competition (citation). There are numerous explanations for the onset of this peace, including; the proliferation of liberal ideals of state interaction following both World War II and the collapse of the Soviet Union (citation), the economic incentives of cooperation brought about by globalisation, and the emergence of human security as an aspect of development studies and human rights. Inversely, realists often attribute this period of peace to the balance of power experienced between the power blocs of the cold war (citation) and thereafter, to the relative primacy of the United States.

According to the researcher, lecturer, and consultant, Joshua Baron [50], these liberal ideals of state interaction have resulted in an environment amongst the core nations which considers maintaining a "state of peace" as desirable. Baron attributes the success of maintaining this peace to the ability of international organisations (such as the United Nations) to peacefully resolve disputes among states through mediation, arbitration or international discussion.

Prior to the long peace, armed conflict was a defining characteristic of diplomacy and great power relations, as denoted by the 64 wars between great powers between 1500 and 1953. According to Baron, "during this approximately 450-year time frame, on average, at least two great powers were fighting one another in each and every year". Unlike the relative peace enjoyed under the US hegemony of the 21st Century, armed confrontation remained commonplace during the period of Pax Britannica.[50]

OLD
According to Joshua Baron, a "researcher, lecturer, and consultant on international conflict", since the early 1960s direct military conflicts and major confrontations have "receded into the background" with regards to relations among the great powers.[50] Baron argues several reasons why this is the case, citing the unprecedented rise of the United States and its predominant position as the key reason. Baron highlights that since World War Two no other great power has been able to achieve parity or near parity with the United States, with the exception of the Soviet Union for a brief time.[50] This position is unique among the great powers since the start of the modern era (the 16th century), where there has traditionally always been "tremendous parity among the great powers". This unique period of American primacy has been an important factor in maintaining a condition of peace between the great powers.[50]

Another important factor is the apparent consensus among Western great powers that military force is no longer an effective tool of resolving disputes among their peers.[50] This "subset" of great powers – France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – consider maintaining a "state of peace" as desirable. As evidence, Baron outlines that since the Cuban missile crisis (1962) during the Cold War, these influential Western nations have resolved all disputes among the great powers peacefully at the United Nations and other forums of international discussion.[50]

Referring to great power relations pre-1960, Baron highlights that starting from around the 16th century and the rise of several European great powers, military conflicts and confrontations was the defining characteristic of diplomacy and relations between such powers.[50] "Between 1500 and 1953, there were 64 wars in which at least one great power was opposed to another, and they averaged little more than five years in length. During this approximately 450-year time frame, on average, at least two great powers were fighting one another in each and every year."[50] Even during the period of Pax Britannica (or "the British Peace") between 1815 and 1914, war and military confrontations among the great powers was still a frequent occurrence. In fact, Baron points out that, in terms of militarized conflicts or confrontations, the UK led the way in this period with nineteen such instances against; Russia (8), France (5), Germany/Prussia (5) and Italy (1).[50]