Main Argument & Takeaways

International security issues in the post-Cold War world are fundamentally different from those confronted during the Cold War. As such, there are few lessons from the past that are relevant for dealing with the challenges of the 21st century. As a group, do you agree, and why?

Throughout this webpage we are going to argue that the foundational principles of international security are still relevant to the strategic decision making of state actors, despite the ever changing landscape of warfare.  

 

  • States used Compellence in the Cold War to get their desired outcome, as shown in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and this lesson is still vital to maintaining International Security as shown through the threat of cyberwarfare and misinformation.
  • States were able to prevent Nuclear conflict during the Cold War through the use of Deterrence, with the increased presence of Nuclear Weapons in the world, this lesson is still essential to maintain International Security today.
  • States were able to combine these two strategies in order to fight Proxy Wars that fell short of global conflict, for example the Korean and Vietnam Wars, this ability is vital to the preservation of International Security today.