ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book explores several policy implications that stem from them. It argues that uncertainty about states' relative capabilities, the offensive nature of the challenger's move, and the challenger's intentions were crucial to whether or not a successful balancing coalition was likely to form. The book also argues that states which fail to balance may pass the buck not only to other states but also to the future. British and French estimates of the number of soldiers and planes in the Wehrmacht were relatively accurate. Rather they overestimated the quality of German planes and how many could be sent aloft at any one time, counted reservists as equivalent to first line troops, and missed crucial German materiel shortages. The book attempts to find regularities in how states deal with the inherent uncertainty that surrounds potential threats.
