Offensive realism

Offensive realism is a structural theory belonging to the neorealist school of thought first postulated by John Mearsheimer that holds the anarchic nature of the international system is responsible for aggressive state behaviour in international politics. It fundamentally differs from defensive realism, as originally put forward by Kenneth Waltz, by depicting great powers as power-maximizing revisionists privileging buck-passing over balancing strategies in their ultimate aim to dominate the international system. The theory brings important alternative contributions for the study and understanding of international relations but remains nonetheless the subject of criticism.