Powder keg

Look up powder keg in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A powder keg is a barrel of gunpowder. The powder keg was the primary method for storing and transporting large quantities of black powder until the 1870s and the adoption of the modern cased bullet. However, the barrels had to be handled with care, since a spark or other source of heat could cause the contents to deflagrate.

Metaphor

A powder keg is also a metaphorical term for a region that political, socioeconomic, historical or other circumstances have made prone to outbursts. The analogy is drawn from a perception that certain territories may seem peaceful and dormant until another event triggers a large outburst of violence.^[1] The term is most often used to simplify and help the understanding of what is often a complex set of circumstances that lead to conflicts, such as the power keg of Europe.^[2]

While the term can be used to designate the entire region of Europe, it is often used specifically to refer to the Balkan countries, particularly the ex-Yugoslavian countries. The most cited event attributed to the use of the term was the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1914, the immediate trigger of World War I.

References