Organski Kugler: The War Ledger
pp 13-22
Before you read
I. Think over the following questions
- What do you know about the author of the text? What is his contribution to the theory of international relations? Have you read anything by this author before?
- Skim the text very quickly and say who it is intended for.
- What is the register of the text?
While you read
Read the text carefully, pencil in hand and
find the following words in the text; try to guess their meanings using the context
decipher |
tenet |
conducive |
discernible |
espouse |
lopsided |
deploy |
penetrate |
reinforce |
propel |
- find Russian equivalents of the words above
- match the words from the list with their less formal synonyms
decipher | strengthen, underpin |
tenet | pass through, come across |
conducive | visible, noticeable |
discernible | move sb/sth forward, motivate |
espouse | unbalanced, asymmetrical |
lopsided | support, approve |
deploy | decode, interpret |
penetrate | leading to, contributing to |
reinforce | mobilize, arrange |
propel | principle, guideline |
match the collocations from the text:
recurrent | groups |
explicit | the equilibrium |
contending | of pyramid |
apex | aim |
subordinate | into the mass of population |
disturb | political changes |
penetrate | struggles |
reinforce and propel | position |
Read the text again and elucidate on the following notions:
asymmetry
equilibrium
explicit
After you read
I. Answer the following questions:
- What causes major powers to enter into major wars?
- Can one reliably predict the approach of war?
II. Summarise the ideas of the chapter, describe the models of distribution of power presented in the chapter, speculate on their distinctive features and differences.
Assess the text critically according to the following criteria:
- novelty (have you learned anything new?)
- relevance (is this information relevant? Will it be of any use in your own research paper?)
- complexity (was it hard to grasp the main ideas of the text?)