ABSTRACT
P eace is not merely the absence of war. An end to the fighting does not necessarily mean that the antagonisms that originally provoked war and the new ones thrown up by war are resolved. An armistice signifies that an absolute
resolution by force is unnecessary because one belligerent has attained undisputed military dominance, but translating battlefield verdicts into political settlements is the task of diplomacy. Bridging the gap between an armistice and peace has proved one of the greatest challenges of modern statesmanship. There is no ultimate recipe for peace. Peace may be founded on hegemony and deterrence or it may come with the formation of a stable security community of states, which share common values and goals. Most stable international systems combine these features.
