Can military strength also encourage bullying?

Does feeling stronger also make a state more likely to seek conflict and eliminate its competition?

It can encourage bullying, but defensive geography, coalitions, and the costs of facing another major power limit what superior strength can achieve.

A participant challenges the deterrence argument by asking whether strength can make eliminating an opponent more attractive than improving one's own position. Alex accepts that bullying is possible, but distinguishes offensive superiority from the defensive strength provided by terrain and fortifications. Mountains, rivers, and a well-defended approach can make a smaller country difficult to attack even when a neighbour has a larger army. Repeated coercion can also encourage other countries to combine against the stronger state. Buffer states such as Belgium and Romania enter the comparison because major powers can prefer a small intermediary to a direct frontier with another strong power.