The international system is like a food chain of predators; everyone has a taste for blood, but very few countries have the ability to "eat". If you are not the hegemon, you are prospective prey to someone else. What type of predator a state is depends of if the are realist or neorealist.
Realists believe the primary objective of the state is to survive. They see other countries as threats, and are proactive in procuring power. These states chase security and relative power through both war and imperialism. For example, the British Empire was able to assert its naval dominance and colonies in North America, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, and parts of Africa. As a state, the British Empire did not feel secure in their global status and amassed
Realists believe the primary objective of the state is to survive. They see other countries as threats, and are proactive in procuring power. These states chase security and relative power through both war and imperialism. For example, the British Empire was able to assert its naval dominance and colonies in North America, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, and parts of Africa. As a state, the British Empire did not feel secure in their global status and amassed