Coalition

1) Political or military alliance of two or more states against a common enemy (e.g., the Triple Entente of the First World War; the anti-Hitler alliance or c. of the Second World War). 2) Agreement for common action among parties and public figures. The politics of c. produces advantages for each participant, is frequently based on compromise and mutual concessions, but can also have serious disadvantages if one power seeks to dominate the alliance. A c. can be an official union of several individuals, political groups, or states against others in order to achieve a common objective. C. members maintain their autonomy and act based on the coincidence of their interests. A c. is formed on the basis of mutual compromise and has a temporary character. With the achievement of the objective or a change of circumstances, the c. ceases to exist or collapses. In other cases, the development of the c. can lead to the organic fusion of its members. A c. of states can have an economic, political, or military character, and the union may vary in scope: bilateral, sub regional, regional, or international. Thus, the United Nations, was born as a c. of states struggling against fascism during the Second World War. The OAS (Organization of American States) was formed as a c. to avert the danger of extra-continental aggression.