Origins of the European Security System (CSS Studies in Security and International Relations) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0415570212 ISBN 13: 9780415570213

Publisher: Routledge, 2008

Synopsis

This edited volume explores the significance of the early ‘Helsinki process’ as a means of redefining and broadening the concept of security during the latter half of the Cold War.

The early Helsinki process introduced innovative confidence-building measures, and made human rights a requirement of a legitimate and well-functioning international system, thus providing the framework for disarmament in Europe in the mid-1980s, as well as the inspiration for the later demise of Communism in Europe. Using newly declassified archives, the book explores the positions of the two superpowers and the crucial impact of European Community member states, which introduced European values into the Cold War debate on security. It also shows how Eastern and Central European nations, such as Poland, did not restrict themselves to providing support to Moscow but, rather, pursued interests of their own. The volume sheds light on the complementary role of the neutrals as mediators and special negotiators in the multilateral negotiations; on the interdependence of politics and economics; and on the link between military security and the CSCE process.

 

About this title

About the Author:

Andreas Wenger is professor of international security policy and director of the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich).

Vojtech Mastny is project coordinator of the Parallel History Project on Cooperative Security, based in Zurich.

Christian Nuenlist is a foreign desk editor at the Swiss daily Mittelland Zeitung. He received his PhD from the University of Zurich in 2005.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0415570212
• ISBN 13: 9780415570213
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 276
• Editor: Wenger Andreas