Europe & Russia

Force, Statecraft and German Unity: The Struggle to Adapt Institutions and Practices Dr Thomas-Durell Young Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Since the unification of Germany on October 3, 1990, the question of how Bonn will conduct its foreign and defense policies continues to be posited. Gone are the days when Paris "led" Western Europe and the Federal Republic of Germany tacitly accepted its supporting role. The Federal Republic now has all the composite elements to be a Great Power, with the exception of its own nuclear arsenal. Nonetheless, Bonn possesses the largest economy and population in Western and Central Europe, and plans to maintain the largest peacetime military establishment east of the Bug River. Even if Germany were to eschew any Great Power ambitions, it no longer has the luxury of denying either to itself or its allies that it does have important international responsibilities to which it must be prepared to contribute."

Ethnic Conflict and European Security: Lessons from the Past and Implications for the Future Ms Maria Alongi Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, Women in International Security "With the outbreak and intensification of a number of ethnically defined conflicts on the European continent since the fall of communism, a conventional wisdom has formed that makes ethnic tensions and instability in Europe almost synonymous. This prevailing notion of an ethnic threat to European stability also has affected the debate on European and transatlantic security institutions. Indeed, the capacity to prevent and respond to ethnic conflict has been a major consideration in the process of institutional development undertaken by several key political and security organizations, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the European Union (EU), and the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). As further proof of the centrality of ethnic questions in European security, the effectiveness and continued relevance of these organizations has often been linked to their responsiveness, or lack thereof, to the most prominent ethnic conflict in Europe: the Balkan crisis."

Finnish Security and European Security Policy Dr Stephen J Blank Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "In 1995 Finland joined the European Union (EU). This action culminated several years of a fundamental reorientation of Finnish security policy as Finland moved from the neutrality imposed on it by the Soviet Union to a policy with a priority on European integration through the European Union. Finland, in joining the EU, has retained its independent defense and security posture, even as it seeks to strengthen its standing abroad and gain added leverage, through the EU, for dealing with Russia. Finland's odyssey indicates much about two fundamental issues in European security: coping with Russia's crises, and the interrelationship between the EU and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as providers of security for small states in Europe."

U.S. Participation in IFOR: A Marathon, not a Sprint Dr William T Johnsen Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Notwithstanding the cogent reasons behind the current December 1996 deadline for withdrawing U.S. ground forces from Bosnia, that policy must be reexamined in light of existing strategic conditions. A decision on whether to extend participation in the IFOR or to join in a successor organization will be neither easy nor insignificant. Nonetheless, it will have to be made, and in the not too distant future. Now, therefore, is the time to examine the issues that will determine whether the United States will continue to lead efforts to ensure a lasting political settlement in Bosnia."

Russian Security Policy in the Asia-Pacific Region: Two Views Dr Stephen J Blank, Maj Gen Anatoly Bolyatko, Prof Peggy Falkenheim Meyer Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "Since the conquest of Siberia, Russia has been an Asian and Pacific power. The end of the Cold War transformed this entire region's security structure, a transformation that accelerated when the Soviet Union fell apart and was replaced by Russia. Russia faces new security challenges in this most dynamic of regions, which still holds substantial possibilities of military conflict. But there has been a tendency in the West to overlook the new Russia's place in Asia."

Prague, NATO, and European Security Dr Stephen J Blank Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The issue of NATO enlargement is a crucial element of the European security agenda. Most of the analyses that have been done on NATO enlargement focus on the relative merits of enlargement for the Alliance. Others concentrate on the viewpoint of individual NATO members' interests. Few examine the perspectives of the possible applicants to NATO. Yet 1996 is the year in which the dialogue on Europe begins to shift from examining the "how and why" of enlargement to the "who and when" of this issue."

Yugoslavia's Wars: The Problem from Hell Dr Stephen J Blank Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "By the summer of 1995 it appeared possible that the wars in the former Yugoslavia had reached a climactic point. During that summer Croatia's army revealed itself as a professional, competent force and recaptured the Krajina territory lost to Serbia in 1991. Though this campaign led to thousands of Serb refugees, neither the UN nor the West did anything and, indeed, it was clear that this offensive enjoyed tacit Western support. In August 1995, immediately following this campaign, the United States launched its own diplomatic offensive that combined its political standing, Croatia's military prowess, and NATO bombing of Bosnian Serb positions due to Serb shelling of Sarajevo and other safe havens..."

U.S. Policy in the Balkans: A Hobson's Choice Dr Stephen J Blank, Dr William T Johnsen, Dr Earl H Tilford Jr Book by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "The United States is already engaged militarily in the ongoing crisis in the Balkans. Since November 1992, U.S. naval vessels have taken part in the maritime enforcement of the U.N. embargo of the belligerents. U.S. Air Force transport aircraft have dropped tons of humanitarian aid to besieged enclaves. U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy aircraft participate daily in the enforcement of the U.N. "no-fly zone" over Bosnia-Hercegovina, have shot down Bosnian Serb aircraft, and have been the principal participants in NATO bombing missions supporting the U. N. Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in Bosnia- Hercegovina..."

Russian Defense Legislation and Russian Democracy Dr Stephen J Blank Monograph by the US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute "As recent events demonstrate, Russia's political system has yet to stabilize. This is particularly the case with civil-military relations for, as the course of the Chechnya invasion reveals, control by the government over the military is erratic and the military is all too often politicized. In this vein, legislation on civilian control of the military and on peacemaking operations in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a particularly important barometer of the course of Russia's democratization and stabilization."