This text discusses the theory of "offensive realism", arguing that states are inherently driven to gain power. The text challenges the assumption that the end of the cold war left the world a safer place; rather, in a world in which no international authority reigns, hegemony is the only true assurance of security. To suport this theory, the text provides evidence from the histoy of great power politics, demonstrating how Germany, the United States and the Soviet Union each sought to maximize power and how their actions are replicated in other case studies from around the world.