International Relations as a discipline learned its hardest lessons not from theory, but from historical failure. The collapse of liberal idealism during the 1930s was not merely an academic embarrassment. It was a civilisational shock. Institutions meant to preserve peace failed spectacularly, cooperation collapsed under pressure, and power politics returned with brutal clarity. For India, a post-colonial state navigating a deeply unequal global order, this episode remains more than a historical memory. It is a warning against moral overconfidence in world politics.
Liberal Idealism and the Illusion of Harmony
The liberal optimism of the interwar period rested on a comforting belief. States, it assumed, could cooperate peacefully if they recognised their shared interests. International law, institutions, and economic interdependence were expected to tame conflict. The League of Nations embodied this hope. Yet when confronted by the expansionist ambitions of Germany, Italy, and Japan, these liberal mechanisms proved powerless.
Interdependence did not generate peace. It generated vulnerability. Institutions did not restrain aggression. They exposed their own limits. Liberal idealism mistook aspiration for reality and goodwill for power. From an Indian perspective, this misreading carries relevance even today. Global institutions often promise equality, yet operate within hierarchies shaped by power, not principles.
E H Carr and the Realist Awakening
E H Carr offered the most devastating critique of liberal idealism. Writing on the eve of the Second World War, Carr argued that liberal thinkers misunderstood the basic structure of international politics. They assumed harmony where conflict was structural. They spoke of shared interests while ignoring inequality. Carr insisted that international relations begin with conflict, not consensus. Some states are satisfied with the existing order. Others are not. The privileged seek preservation, the disadvantaged seek change. This struggle defines world politics. Cooperation, when it occurs, is always shaped by power relations. For India, Carr’s insight resonates deeply. The post-1945 global order promised fairness but was inherently asymmetrical. Development, security, and voice were distributed unevenly. Expecting genuine harmony without addressing structural inequality was always unrealistic.
Morgenthau and the Centrality of Power
Hans Morgenthau carried realism into the American academic mainstream. His central claim was blunt but enduring. International politics is a power struggle. States pursue survival first, morality later. Human nature, driven by fear and self-interest, shapes state behaviour.
The historical context reinforced his argument. Fascist regimes pursued aggressive expansion with mass support. Popular consent coexisted with tyranny. Moral appeals failed. Only countervailing power eventually stopped aggression.
From an Indian standpoint, Morgenthau’s realism explains why moral restraint alone cannot secure borders or interests. India’s experience with unresolved conflicts, whether in Kashmir or along disputed frontiers, reflects the limits of ethical persuasion without material deterrence.
Anarchy, Security, and the Limits of Institutions
Realism rests on a simple structural claim. There is no world government. The international system is anarchic. States cannot outsource survival. Institutions function only when powerful states allow them to. The League of Nations failed because it lacked enforcement power. The lesson is not that institutions are useless, but that they cannot substitute for capability. India’s cautious approach to multilateralism reflects this understanding. Institutions are tools, not guarantees.
Cycles of History and the Persistence of Power Politics
Unlike liberalism, realism rejects the idea of permanent progress. History moves in cycles. Power rises and declines. Stability is temporary. War is not an anomaly but a recurring possibility when balances collapse. For India, this perspective aligns with civilisational memory. Empires rose and fell long before modern Europe. Moral ideals mattered, but survival depended on strength, prudence, and adaptation. The realist reminder is sobering but necessary.
Liberalism Did Not Disappear, But It Was Humbled
Realism won the first great debate in International Relations because it explained reality more effectively during crises. Yet liberalism did not vanish. After 1945, cooperation returned through institutions like the United Nations. But this cooperation was built on power equilibrium, not idealism. India’s foreign policy reflects this synthesis. It speaks the language of peace, multilateralism, and global justice, while simultaneously investing in military capacity and strategic autonomy. This is not a contradiction. It is political maturity.
Conclusion: What This Means for India Today
The failure of liberal idealism in the 1930s teaches India a crucial lesson. Moral aspiration without material strength invites vulnerability. Power without restraint invites instability. A realistic foreign policy must balance ethics with capability. India’s challenge is not to reject liberal values, but to ground them in realism. Peace cannot be wished into existence. It must be protected. Cooperation must be negotiated from strength, not hope. The tragedy of the 1930s reminds us that international politics rewards clarity more than optimism.
Liberalism Did Not Disappear, But It Was Humbled