That the lack of international government means international anarchy
may be illustrated by some recent events. Owing to the struggle of
Serbia for expansion, Austria feared the seizure of its own territory
and loss of some of its population, and so refused to accept mediation,
because the Hapsburg monarchy being reported declining, she must
counteract this impression by showing vigorous action. The success of
Austria would be regarded by Russia as a threat to herself, but a defeat
of Austria by Russia would be a defeat for Germany, and a German defeat
for Russia and France would be regarded as a defeat for England. Thus
the lack of any international government or organization made
cooperation for peace almost, if not quite, impossible. England might
have said to herself, among other reasons, "If I stay out of the war,
Germany may overrun France and Belgium, resulting in a union of the
French and German Navies, but we are an island, and it would not do to
risk the danger of such a combination."
Frontier questions have perhaps been the main cause of more wars in
history than anything else. But in the course of events such questions
have come to be settled without resort to force, which is a change from
national to international government.