How the Research Is Empirically Examined 109
In the current subchapter, the degree of territorial expansion of the polar
powers at the end of the wars in which they participated is assessed by
examining all instances of a given polarity model in the period assessed in
the study, 1816–2016. In this subchapter I also present the causal explana-
tion of my theory for the events.
We now turn to empiric assessment of the systemic dependent variable—
the degree of territorial expansion of polar powers at the end of wars.
I should note that in a bilateral relationship in a war in which there are
just two players, there may be two or more different territorial changes. In
a war involving two polar powers, the expansion of one polar power and
the contraction of the other polar power may occur. In a bilateral relation-
ship involving more than two polar powers and an additional number of
players that are not polar powers, the number of territorial changes that
may occur is greater than the total number of players. One polar power
may expand at the expense of the other parties involved, whereas other
players may expand at the expense of one or more polar powers.
TERRITORIAL OUTCOMES OF WARS OF POLAR
POWERS—QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT
The quantitative check that is done in the current subchapter attempts to
prove the existence of correlation between the study assumption concern-
ing territorial outcomes of the wars of polar powers in the three inter-
national model systems and the empiric results of those systems: bipolar
systems as systems that encourage the preservation of the territorial status
quo that preceded the outbreak of the war at the end of wars of polar pow-
ers; unipolar systems as systems that encourage territorial expansion of
polar powers at the end of wars; and multipolar systems as systems that
encourage nonexpansion (territorial contraction or status quo) at the end
of central wars or as systems that allow for territorial expansion at the end
of major or minor wars.
TERRITORIAL OUTCOMES IN MULTIPOLAR SYSTEMS
Territorial Outcomes in the Multipolar System, 1849–1870The multipolar system of 1849–1870 occurred in Eurasia. During it, 13
wars were fought between countries worldwide. Five of them were fought
in Europe and involved at least one of the five polar powers that constituted
the system: Great Britain, France, Russia, Prussia, and Austro-Hungary.
Table 4.10 shows the territorial outcomes of the wars that involved the
great powers that constituted the multipolar system that existed in Eurasia
in 1849–1870.