Do international alliances always make the world safer, or can they sometimes lead to more tension?

Preface

While international alliances are often formed with the intention of creating strong, collective security and deterring aggression. They incite conflict due to their very structure. An alliance system with 'an attack on one is an attack on all' policy can turn local disputes into global conflicts, creating a more dangerous world.

The Security Dilemma

The core concept that makes alliances dangerous is the 'security dilemma.' Political scientist Glenn H. Snyder applied this concept to alliance politics, describing how nations face a choice between supporting or not supporting allies which leads to tensions between fears of entrapment and abandonment. When nations band together, they do so against a common enemy. That enemy, in turn, views the newly established alliance not as a defensive measure, but as an offensive threat that must be neutralized or countered. This leads to an endless cycle of action and reaction. For example, the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO for short) was the primary reason for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe forming the Warsaw Pact in 1955. This further solidified the division between Europe into two, heavily armed camps who were ideologically and politically opposed. The alliance meant to provide security provided militarized opposition.Us vs. Them

Furthermore, alliances create an unhealthy 'us vs. them' mentality which makes diplomacy insanely difficult. The post-World War II era was defined by these two dominant alliances (NATO and the Warsaw Pact) whose members were united by the idea that it was either us or them. By the way, the article cited is a modern one, made right after Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Even after the Cold War, the us vs. them mentality still exists. This polarization reduces the amount of compromises countries are willing to make for peaceful resolution. A minor skirmish at a border can suddenly pull multiple global powers into the fray.

World War I

This alliance system is what turned the relatively local conflict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia into World War I. The alliance system of 1914, including the Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary and the Franco-Russian Alliance created rival blocs of Great Powers. The uncertainty of these alliances' limits resulted in high-risk crisis management among Kings and Queens at the time. These alliances were made to prevent war, yet their existence ensured that war was utterly destructive when it did come.

Conclusion

By clearly defining the enemy and creating a binary approach for confrontation, international alliances sacrifice long-term stability for short-term peace, thereby making the world a more tense and dangerous place.