Thucydides Trap
The theory that when an established power is threatened by an emerging power, there is a significant likelihood of war between the two powers.
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Origin
Refers to a quote by Greek historian and military general Thucydides, suggesting that the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta had been inevitable because of Spartan fear of the growth of Athenian power — used in the modern era by political scientist Graham Allison to describe a potential conflict between the U.S. and China.