ABSTRACT
Transitional wars are a shorthand way of designating the most serious type of major power war, the periodic showdowns over which major power(s) will make policy and rules to govern the global political economy. This chapter examines six "endism" theories. These are theories about the end of something—ranging from war itself to predictability—that lead to the expectation that the chances of a future major power war are slim to nonexistent. The chapter focuses on leadership long–cycle theory and can be restricted to two sets of dynamics, one global and the other regional. The Western European region, in addition, has played a central role as the main arena for the regional dynamics just as European states have long dominated the global processes. The global erosion no doubt encouraged the ambitions of the ascending regional power. Nationalism, ethnic disputes, and regional rivalries are likely but probably containable as security threats to the developed world.
