▁different ▁predictions ▁regarding ▁great ▁power ▁behaviour ▁in ▁international ▁politics . ▁Main ly , ▁it ▁diver ges ▁from ▁def ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁in ▁regards ▁to ▁the ▁accum ulation ▁of ▁power ▁a ▁state ▁needs ▁to ▁possess ▁to ▁ensure ▁its ▁security ▁and ▁the ▁issu ing ▁of ▁strategy ▁states ▁purs ue ▁to ▁meet ▁this ▁satisf actory ▁level ▁of ▁security . ▁Ult imately , ▁M ear she imer ' s ▁off ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁draw s ▁a ▁much ▁more ▁p ess im istic ▁picture ▁of ▁international ▁politics ▁character ised ▁by ▁dangerous ▁inter - state ▁security ▁competition ▁likely ▁leading ▁to ▁conflict ▁and ▁war . ▁ ▁Status ▁qu o ▁v . ▁power - maxim izing ▁states ▁John ▁M ear she imer ' s ▁off ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁int ends ▁to ▁fix ▁the ▁" status ▁qu o ▁bias " ▁of ▁Kenneth ▁W alt z ' s ▁def ensive ▁ne ore al ism . ▁While ▁both ▁ne ore al ist ▁variants ▁argue ▁that ▁states ▁are ▁primarily ▁concerned ▁with ▁maxim ising ▁their ▁security , ▁they ▁disag ree ▁over ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁power ▁required ▁in ▁the ▁process . ▁To ▁the ▁contrary ▁of ▁def ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁according ▁to ▁which ▁states ▁are ▁status ▁qu o ▁powers ▁seeking ▁only ▁to ▁preserve ▁their ▁respective ▁positions ▁in ▁the ▁international ▁system ▁by ▁maintain ing ▁the ▁prev ail ing ▁balance ▁of ▁power , ▁off ensive ▁ne ore al ism ▁claims ▁that ▁states ▁are ▁in ▁fact ▁power - maxim ising ▁revision ists ▁har bour ing ▁ag gress ive ▁intent ions . ▁Indeed ,