Realism

Realism is one of the dominant theories in international relations. The roots of neorealist international relations theory can be traced back over 2,400 years to Thucydide’s account of the Peloponnesian War. Over the years realism has evolved into three main subbranches: classical realism, neorealism, and neoclassical realism. What all branches have in common is the importance of power and the importance of states as the main actors in international relations.