International Studies Reivew Vol. 13 No.1 June 2012

pages: 89-113

Recognizing that few scholars have explored the foreign policy
of non-major powers, in this paper, we explore the patterns
of non-major powers' foreign policy through a historical comparison
of Korea and Poland. Despite substantial differences,
the modern histories of Korea and Poland share significant
similarities due mainly to their geographic locations between
two great powers: Korea between China and Japan, and Poland
between Germany and Russia. Their unfavorable locations
have constantly forced the two nations to adjust and accommodate
to changing external environments they cannot
control. Through this comparative case study of Korea and
Poland, we also highlight the limitations of the existing realist
approach in explaining foreign policy behaviors of non-major
powers.