The External Needs and Goals of States

3.1. Security and Survival: The Primary External Need

The most fundamental external need of any state is survival. The anarchic nature of the international system, as described by realist theorists like Hans Morgenthau and Kenneth Waltz, means that no overarching authority can guarantee a state’s safety. States must therefore rely on self-help mechanisms—military power, alliances, and deterrence—to secure their existence. National security becomes the lens through which all other external needs are interpreted.

In pursuit of security, states engage in balancing or bandwagoning strategies. Balancing involves forming alliances or building military capabilities to counteract perceived threats, as seen in the formation of NATO during the Cold War to counter Soviet expansion. Bandwagoning, on the other hand, involves aligning with stronger powers to ensure protection, exemplified by smaller states’ alliances with major powers in exchange for security guarantees.

Modern security needs, however, extend beyond traditional military considerations. Economic stability, cyber defense, and environmental resilience have become integral components of national security. For instance, energy security—ensuring consistent access to vital energy resources—is now a core external concern for many industrialized nations. Similarly, in a globalized digital era, the protection of data and infrastructure from cyberattacks represents a new dimension of external vulnerability.