Abuffer state is acountry geographically lying between two rival or potentially hostilegreat powers.[1] Its existence can sometimes be thought to prevent conflict between them. A buffer state is sometimes a mutually agreed upon area lying between two greater powers, which isdemilitarised in the sense of not hosting thearmed forces of either power (though it will usually have its own military forces). Theinvasion of a buffer state by one of the powers surrounding it will often result inwar between the powers.
Buffer states, when authentically independent, typically pursue aneutralist foreign policy, which distinguishes them fromsatellite states. The concept of buffer states is part of a theory of thebalance of power that entered European strategic anddiplomatic thinking in the 18th century. After theFirst World War, notable examples of buffer states werePoland andCzechoslovakia, situated between major powers such asGermany and theSoviet Union.Lebanon is another significant example, positioned betweenSyria andIsrael, thereby experiencing challenges as a result.[2]
Research shows that buffer states are significantly more likely to be conquered andoccupied than nonbuffer states are.[3] This is because "states that great powers have an interest in preserving—buffer states—are in fact in a high-risk group for death.Regional or great powers surrounding buffer states face a strategic imperative to take over buffer states: if these powers fail to act against the buffer, they fear that their opponent will take it over instead. By contrast, these concerns do not apply to nonbuffer states, where powers face no competition for influence or control."[3]
 | This sectionpossibly containsoriginal research. Pleaseimprove it byverifying the claims made and addinginline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.(June 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Bolivia, created byGran Colombia as a buffer betweenPeru andArgentina during theUpper Peru question[4]
Uruguay, served as a demilitarised buffer between Argentina and theEmpire of Brazil during the early independence period inSouth America[5][6]
Paraguay, maintained after the end of theParaguayan War in 1870, as a buffer separating Argentina and Brazil[7]
Georgia, acolony established byGreat Britain in 1732 as a buffer between its othercolonies along the Atlantic coast ofNorth America andSpanish Florida[8]
Ecuador, served as a "cushion state" between Colombia and Peru, which had a bigger extension[clarification needed] and military force and fought awar in the 1820s.[9]
Ryukyu was a buffer state between theQing Empire andEdo Japan.[15][16]
North Korea, during and after theCold War, has been seen by some analysts as a buffer state between the military forces ofChina, theSoviet Union and those ofSouth Korea,Japan, and theUnited States (stationed in South Korea, Japan, andTaiwan from 1954 to 1979).[17]
Manchukuo was a pro-Japanese buffer state between theEmpire of Japan, the Soviet Union, and theRepublic of China duringWorld War II.
Thailand, historically known as Siam, was an independent buffer state between theBritish Raj,British Malaya,French Indochina, and their competing colonial interests inLaos andCambodia.[18][19]
Korea acted as a buffer zone between the growing superpowers of Imperial Japan and theRussian Empire.
TheFar Eastern Republic was a formally independent state created to act as a buffer betweenBolshevik Russia and the Empire of Japan.[20][21]
Afghanistan was a buffer state between theBritish Empire, which ruled much ofSouth Asia, and the Russian Empire, which ruled much ofCentral Asia, during theAnglo–Russian conflicts of the 19th century. Later, theWakhan Corridor extended the buffer eastwards to the Chinese border.[22]
Tibet,
Nepal,
Bhutan, and
Sikkim were buffer states between the British Empire andChina. Later, during theSino-Indian War of 1962, they became buffers between China andIndia as the two powers fought along their borders.[23][24]
Mongolia acted as a buffer between the Soviet Union and China until 1991. It currently serves as a buffer betweenRussia and China.[25]
Lebanon is a buffer state betweenIsrael andSyria.
Iraq and
Bahrain are buffer states betweenIran andSaudi Arabia.[26][27]
Botswana) was initially created as a buffer between the British Empire and the twoBoer republics of theOrange Free State and theTransvaal Republic until theSecond Boer War.[29]
Switzerland has been a buffer state betweenItaly,Austria,France,Germany, and other state powers in medieval and modern Europe.
The United Kingdom of the Netherlands, composed of today'sBelgium andNetherlands, was created by theCongress of Vienna in 1815 to maintain peace betweenFrance,Prussia, and theUnited Kingdom. The kingdom existed for 15 years until theBelgian Revolution.
Belgium acted as buffer state betweenFrance, theGerman Empire, theNetherlands, and the British Empire before theFirst World War.
Austria acted as a buffer state between Germany andItaly duringthe interwar period.
Poland and other states between Germany and the Soviet Union have sometimes been described as buffer states, both as non-communist states beforeWorld War II[34] and later ascommunist states of theEastern Bloc.[35]
Yugoslavia, whichbroke with the Soviet Union before the formation of theWarsaw Pact, became a buffer state betweenNATO and the Eastern Bloc during theCold War.
West Germany and
East Germany were also regarded as buffer states between NATO and the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War in Europe.
Sweden and
Finland were sometimes regarded as buffer states between NATO and the Soviet Union.[by whom?] More recently, theRusso-Ukrainian War has helped push both countries into joining NATO.
Cyprus was instaured as a buffer state in 1960 as a form to avoid the risk of a war for the island control betweenGreece andTurkey.
New Hebrides served as a buffer between the United Kingdom and France in Oceania during theNew Imperialism period.
Papua New Guinea served as a buffer state betweenIndonesia, theSolomon Islands, andVanuatu. Indonesia accused both the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu of supporting theFree Papua Movement during thePapua conflict.[36]Chapter 25: Destruction of the Buffer States between Germany and the Soviet Union.
Moscow's German Problem before Detente – The Federal Republic – In 1945, the major Soviet preoccupation was to prevent any future German attack; hence the imposition of Soviet-controlled governments in a ring of buffer states between Germany and the USSR.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
