The balance of power is a theory in international relations that suggests peace is more likely when power is distributed among multiple nations, preventing any single state from becoming too dominant. This concept was key to European politics after the Napoleonic Wars, where nations like Britain, France, Russia, and Austria worked to prevent any one country from overwhelming the continent. The balance of power remains relevant today in multipolar global systems, such as how regional powers like India, China, and the U.S. maintain a balance in the Indo-Pacific region to avoid a hegemonic dominance by any one state.