Scholars frequently portray the Second World War as an epic morality play driven by a villain (Hitler) and a sinner (Chamberlain). Deadly Imbalances offers a new approach, combining both the attributes of states and the structure of the international system to explain the origins and causes of the war. Central to Schweller's analysis is the argument that the structure of the international system was tripolar -- with Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States as the three central powers -- and that this needs to be considered in any examination of the antecedent causes and crucial events of the war.