Conflict is not inherent in a nation’s rise. The United States in the 20th century is an example of a state achieving eminence without conflict with the then-dominant countries. Nor was the often-cited German-British conflict inevitable. Thoughtless

Conflict is not inherent in a nation’s rise. The United States in the 20th century is an example of a state achieving eminence without conflict with the then-dominant countries. Nor was the often-cited German-British conflict inevitable. Thoughtless and provocative policies played a role in transforming European diplomacy into a zero-sum game.

国家的崛起并非必然伴随着冲突。20世纪的美国就是一个例证，它在脱颖而出的过程中并没有与当时占据主导地位的国家发生冲突。经常被人提起的德英冲突当初也并非不可避免。轻率而又带挑衅性的政策对于欧洲那场由外交战演变而成的得失相抵的较量负有一定责任。