Maintaining the Critical Balance: The United States, NATO, and the European Security Equilibrium in the Post-Cold War Operating Environment
Abstract
Faced with geo-political dynamics which were temporarily suppressed during the Cold War, Europeans are again witnessing the confluence of economic instability, ethnic and religious tension, empowerment of a resurgent and influential Germany, and renewed anti-Western sentiment in the wake of disputed Russian elections. These factors are compounded by the emergence of an unstable arrangement of developing nation states, nonstate actors, ethnic discord, economic instability and terrorism, previously managed and contained during the Cold War. It is intended that by means of a historical analysis of NATO's origins, this study will provide perspective and consideration for the continued importance of the Transatlantic Alliance, and notably for the historical relevancy of U.S. participation in NATO, as factors to both U.S. and European security and stability. In doing so, the work intends to produce considerations regarding the importance and means of continued U.S. participation in NATO, as these factors relate to the prioritization and application of economized U.S. military assets and capabilities in an increasingly unstable operating environment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 08, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA563056
Entities
People
- Joseph J. Russo
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College