- Buffer state
A buffer state is a
country lying between two rival or potentially hostile greater powers, which by its sheer existence is thought to prevent conflict between them. "Buffer states", when authentically independent, typically pursue aneutralist foreign policy, which distinguishes them fromsatellite state s. The conception of buffer states is part of the theory of balance of power that entered European strategic and diplomatic thinking in the 17th century. In the 19th century, the manipulation of buffer states likeAfghanistan and the Central Asian emirates was an element in the diplomatic "Great Game " played out between Britain and Tsarist Russia for control of the approaches to strategic mountain passes that led to British India.Other examples of buffer states include:
*Tibet during the period of theBritish Raj , between British India, theRussian Empire , and theChinese Empire .
*Kingdom of Armenia between theRoman Empire and theParthian Empire
*Qasim Khanate , betweenMuscovy andKazan Khanate
*Kingdom of Hungary , and laterTransylvania in the time of principality between theAustrian Empire andOttoman Empire ; see alsoBanat .
*Mongolia , between thePeople's Republic of China andRussia
*Poland followingWorld War I , located betweenGermany and theSoviet Union
*North Korea during and after theCold War , seen by some analysts as a buffer state between the military forces of thePeople's Republic of China and American forces inSouth Korea
* Thecolony of Georgia in the 18th century, as a buffer state between Spanish-controlled Florida and theAmerican colonies that comprised theAtlantic Seaboard .
* NeutralAustria ,Sweden andFinland were buffer states during theCold War .
*Belgium beforeWorld War I , serving as a buffer between theUnited Kingdom ,France , andGermany
* Siam — The king of Siam (nowThailand ) had to surrender his country's hegemony over Laos and Cambodia and to grant commercial concessions to France, but managed to retain independence as a buffer state betweenFrench Indochina and theBritish Raj .
* The Rhineland served as a demilitarised buffer-zone betweenFrance andGermany during the inter-war years of the 1920s and early 1930s. There were early French attempts at creating a Rhineland republic.
*Uruguay served as a demilitarised buffer-zone betweenArgentine Republic and theEmpire of Brazil during the early independent period in South America.
*Paraguay which was maintained after the end of theWar of the Triple Alliance in 1870 as a territory separating Argentina and Brazil.The invasion of a buffer state by one of the powers surrounding it will often result in war between the powers. For example, in 1914 the German invasion of
Belgium triggered the entry ofGreat Britain intoWorld War I .The earlier forms of highly defended border regions, where defensive castles stood at a distance of a day's march are discussed at
Marches . Some political remains of borderland marches established under theCarolingian andOttonian Empires can be seen on the European map today:Belgium ,Luxembourg , Lorraine. The Carolingian Empire also created some independent duchies in the Pyrenean border acting as buffer states against the Muslim kingdoms, an area called theHispanic March , giving form to today'sAndorra and the region ofCatalonia .Even earlier, compare the highly-defended Roman Empire's "
limes " with its "client kingdom s" likePalmyra ,Judaea ,Numidia orMauretania , and thePersian Empire 's system ofsatrap iesFact|date=June 2008.ee also
*
satellite state
*puppet state
*buffer zone
*marches
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