▁forces ▁in ▁a ▁light ning ▁attack . ▁ ▁Military ▁theory ▁Under ▁the ▁cult ▁of ▁off ensive , ▁military ▁leaders ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁attack er ▁will ▁be ▁vict orious ▁( or ▁at ▁least ▁cause ▁more ▁cas ual ties ▁than ▁they ▁receive ) ▁regardless ▁of ▁circumst ance ▁and ▁so ▁defense ▁as ▁a ▁concept ▁is ▁almost ▁completely ▁dis cred ited . ▁This ▁results ▁in ▁all ▁strateg ies ▁foc using ▁on ▁attack ing , ▁and ▁the ▁only ▁valid ▁def ensive ▁strategy ▁being ▁to ▁counter - att ack . ▁ ▁International ▁politics ▁In ▁international ▁relations , ▁the ▁cult ▁of ▁off ensive ▁is ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁security ▁d ile m ma ▁and ▁off ensive ▁real ism ▁theories . ▁It ▁str esses ▁that ▁con quest ▁is ▁easy ▁and ▁security ▁difficult ▁to ▁obtain ▁from ▁a ▁def ensive ▁post ure . ▁Liberal ▁institution al ists ▁argue ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁commit ment ▁problem ▁and ▁that ▁a ▁pre empt ive ▁war ▁that ▁results ▁from ▁the ▁security ▁d ile m ma ▁is ▁fairly ▁rare . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁The ▁cult ▁of ▁the ▁off ensive ▁was ▁the ▁dominant ▁theory ▁among ▁many ▁military ▁and ▁political ▁leaders ▁before ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁Those ▁leaders ▁argued ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁declaring ▁war ▁and ▁launch ing ▁an ▁off ensive , ▁bel ieving ▁they ▁could ▁cri pp le ▁their ▁oppon ents , ▁and ▁fear ing ▁that ▁if ▁they ▁waited , ▁they ▁in ▁turn ▁would ▁be ▁defeated . ▁The ▁domin ance ▁of ▁this ▁line ▁of ▁thought ▁significantly ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁es cal ation ▁of ▁host ilities , ▁and ▁is ▁seen ▁as