<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<p>This paper argues that a prestige-humiliation dynamic is a systems-level force that shapes state behavior. Connecting psychological factors to structural realism, we observe the following: the more powerful a state becomes, the more it could seek to overturn past humiliation through aggressive prestige-seeking acts. This is done to reassert its power and status to erase past humiliation and achieve prestige even at the expense of others. Three historical examples will be discussed: Nazi Germany’s erasure of the Treaty of Versailles, China’s Century of Humiliation, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s expansion into Eastern Europe against Russia. The paper will then define face-saving behavior, allowing a competitor to preserve prestige and avoid humiliation as a way to deescalate tension.</p>
</abstract>

This paper argues that a prestige-humiliation dynamic is a systems-level force that shapes state behavior. Connecting psychological factors to structural realism, we observe the following: the more powerful a state becomes, the more it could seek to overturn past humiliation through aggressive prestige-seeking acts. This is done to reassert its power and status to erase past humiliation and achieve prestige even at the expense of others. Three historical examples will be discussed: Nazi Germany’s erasure of the Treaty of Versailles, China’s Century of Humiliation, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s expansion into Eastern Europe against Russia. The paper will then define face-saving behavior, allowing a competitor to preserve prestige and avoid humiliation as a way to deescalate tension.

Prestige, Humiliation And Saving Face: National Identity and Great Power Politics

CONTEMPORARY MILITARY CHALLENGES

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

This paper argues that a prestige-humiliation dynamic is a systems-level force that shapes state behavior. Connecting psychological factors to structural...

Prestige, Humiliation And Saving Face: National Identity and Great Power Politics

Published Online: Apr 02, 2024

Page range: 81 - 102

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/cmc-2024-0006

Keywords
Theory, security, war, conflict, constructivism

© 2024 Hanna Samir Kassab, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Prestige, Humiliation And Saving Face: National Identity and Great Power Politics

Published Online: Apr 02, 2024

Page range: 81 - 102

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/cmc-2024-0006

KeywordsTheory, security, war, conflict, constructivism

© 2024 Hanna Samir Kassab, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Theory, security, war, conflict, constructivism