Thucydides trap

English

Etymology

An allusion to the ancient Athenian historian and military general Thucydides, who posited that the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta had been inevitable because of Spartan fears of the growth of Athenian power.

Noun

Thucydides trap (plural Thucydides traps)

1. An apparent tendency towards war when an emerging power threatens to displace an existing great power as a regional or international hegemon.

Usage notes

• Coined and primarily used to describe a potential conflict between the United States and the People's Republic of China.

Alternative forms

• Thucydides' trap