A New Grand Bargain: A Transatlantic Security Relationship for the 21st Century
Abstract
At the dawn of the 21st century, the transatlantic security relationship between the US and its European allies remains locked in the paradigm created during the second half of the 20th century. This Cold War relationship was essentially "The Grand Bargain", whereby the United States provided nuclear deterrence and an overarching security umbrella for Western Europe, in return for being allowed to call the shots. It persists despite a radically changed security environment prompted by the two most dramatic phenomena of the old century's last decade--the abrupt, peaceful end to the Cold War and the acceleration of worldwide interconnectedness known as "globalization." Within Europe itself, much has changed since Eastern Europe's "velvet revolutions," the collapse of the Berlin wall, and the consignment of the Soviet Union to history's dustbin. The most salient events revolve around integration in Western Europe and disintegration in southeastern Europe. The half century-old process of "building Europe," propelled forward by the Maastricht Treaty, has continued apace, deepening economic and political ties among European Union (EU) members, as they simultaneously took the first small steps to forge their own security and defense policy. The Balkan "troubles"--the bloody wars of Yugoslav succession--revealed fissures among transatlantic allies, a seeming European inability to act concertedly or decisively in their own "backyard" absent American leadership, and a substantial gap between US and European military capabilities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA392239
Entities
People
- Alan Cate
- Carl Chappell
- Kevin Vietti
- Richard Suttie
Organizations
- United States Army War College