Buffer state

This refers to a small country that is located between a great power or the sphere of influence of a great power, and whose independence is guaranteed under explicit (treaty or treaty) or implicit agreement to avoid conflict between the great powers. For example, Thailand and Ethiopia at the end of the 19th century were considered buffer states under a tacit agreement between Britain and France, and Afghanistan was considered a buffer state under an tacit agreement between Britain and Russia, and were able to maintain their independence. In Europe after World War II, Finland and Austria, located at the junction of the two major camps of East and West, were treated the same as buffer states and adopted equidistance and neutral diplomacy. Switzerland and Belgium were also considered to be permanently neutral countries by the great powers in the Treaty of Paris in 1815 and the Treaty of London in 1831, respectively, and these are also considered to be cases of buffer states.

[Shunichi Fujimura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

大国あるいは大国の勢力圏の間に位置し、大国相互の衝突を回避するため、明示（協定や条約）あるいは暗黙の合意の下に独立を保障される小国をさす。たとえば、19世紀末のタイおよびエチオピアは英仏間の、またアフガニスタンは英露間の暗黙の合意の下に緩衝国とみなされ、独立を保つことができた。第二次世界大戦後のヨーロッパでも、東西二大陣営の接点に位置するフィンランドやオーストリアが緩衝国と同じ扱いを受け、等距離・中立外交をとった。またスイスが1815年のパリ条約で、ベルギーが1831年のロンドン条約で、列強により永世中立国とされたのも、緩衝国と同じケースとみなされる。

［藤村瞬一］

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