The socio – political developments of the outgoing 1980s and beginning 1990s to the greatest extent in Europe initiated the rise of a new era, impacting various political, societal and economic levels drastically throughout the world.
With the fall of the Iron Curtain, i.e. the drowning of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its split into (semi–) independent states , the breakdown of East Germany (GDR) and its unification with the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) , and the turn up of the United States of America (USA) as the only liable superpower, the final act of the forty years lasting Cold War era found its cumulating closure. The paradigm of the West versus the East, of democracy versus communism was determined, and new patterns had and – since this redefinition appears to be an ongoing process – have to be rethought.
In terms of security, the school of the political scientist Barry Buzan presented a structural cluster for the understanding of new evolving threats, resulting from the dissolution of the bipolarity with Russia and USA as having been oppositional poles of more or less equal strength.
Apart from the military - related aspects that have dominated the thinking of conflict research throughout the period of the Cold War, this approach includes the means of politics, society, economy and environment as inter-relating and equally impacting issues of high importance for the analysis of security politika.
This analysis strives to present the main issues which characterise the transformation of the European security system from the 1990s until today. Hereby, conceptual approaches regarding a theoretical framework of the newly either emerged or recognised threats are related to the actual agenda of the most important players, to say states and institutions, the like, without loosing the perspective for important non–official political actors such as non governmental organisations (NGOs) or (mega–) terrorists (to mention a positive and negative example), as well as economic influences. A description and explanation of the present European security architecture hereby entails the aspects of the phenomenons of globalisation and the idea of a global governance.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- The End of the Cold War and the conceptual Development of an innovative Comprehension of Security Threat
- Organisational and institutional Adaptations vis-à-vis the post - Cold War Evolutions
- Security related Dilemmas in Europe
- Conclusion
- Bibliography // Webiography
- Appendix
- Translations
- Additional Chapter
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The assignment aims to analyze the security architecture in post-Cold War Europe, exploring the transition from the traditional security threats of the Cold War era to the new challenges that emerged in the 1990s and beyond.
- The transformation of the European security system from the 1990s until today.
- The conceptual understanding of newly emerging or recognized security threats.
- The role of key players, including states, institutions, and non-governmental actors, in shaping the European security landscape.
- The impact of globalisation and the idea of global governance on European security.
- The role of the United States and Russia in European security.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the context of the post-Cold War era and the rise of new security threats. It highlights the significance of the fall of the Iron Curtain and the subsequent geopolitical shift.
- The End of the Cold War and the conceptual Development of an innovative Comprehension of Security Threat: This chapter examines the conceptual shift in understanding security threats from a traditional military-centric approach to a broader perspective that encompasses societal, economic, environmental, and political dimensions.
- Organisational and institutional Adaptations vis-à-vis the post - Cold War Evolutions: This chapter analyzes the adjustments made by key institutions such as the European Union, NATO, OSCE, and WEU in response to the evolving security landscape.
- Security related Dilemmas in Europe: This chapter delves into the security dilemmas faced by these institutions, including the challenges of economic disparities, environmental issues, and the integration of Russia into the European political scene.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This analysis focuses on key terms and concepts related to the security architecture in post-Cold War Europe, including security threats, traditional and non-traditional security, societal security, economic security, environmental security, political security, globalisation, global governance, the European Union, NATO, OSCE, WEU, Russia, and the United States.
- Citation du texte
- Dominik Kalweit (Auteur), 2005, The fall of the Iron Curtain and the rise of non–traditional security threats, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/80826
