Recent Publications

The Future of the American Military Presence in Europe
April 1, 2000 — Editor: COL Lloyd J Matthews Ten years have elapsed since the fall of the Berlin Wall, which served as a fitting symbol for the end of the Cold War. That historic juncture brought into question the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which has served Alliance members so well since its founding in 1949. It also brought into question the rationale... MORE

NATO After Enlargement: New Challenges, New Missions, New Forces
September 1, 1998 — Author: Dr Stephen J Blank In 1999 NATO will formally admit three new members and adopt a new strategic concept. In so doing, it will take giant strides towards effecting a revolutionary transformation of European security. On the one hand, it could be said that NATO enlargement closes the immediate post-Cold War period that began with the collapse... MORE

Reforming NATO’s Military Structures: The Long-Term Study and Its Implications for Land Forces
May 1, 1998 — Author: Dr Thomas-Durell Young The contemporary debate over the expansion of NATO to include Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary has largely overshadowed an important effort on the part of the Alliance to achieve "internal adaptation" through the work of the Long-Term Study. Part of this process has been a tortuous attempt to reform and... MORE

European Security and NATO Enlargement: A View from Central Europe
April 1, 1998 — Author: Dr Stephen J Blank On August 4-5, 1997, the Strategic Studies Institute (SSI), together with the Reserve Officers Association, cosponsored a conference in Prague on "Eurasian Security in the Era of NATO Enlargement." In order to clarify fully the emerging security agenda in Europe and hear from member states and other interested parties,... MORE

Force, Statecraft and German Unity: The Struggle to Adapt Institutions and Practices
December 1, 1996 — Author: Dr Thomas-Durell Young One can make two general observations concerning Bonn's ongoing attempt to adapt institutions and practices. First, confusion in German policy making is clearly a manifestation of officials largely navigating in a little-known policy milieu. Realpolitik, let alone Machtpolitik (either as mere terms, let alone as... MORE

Prague, NATO, and European Security
April 1, 1996 — Author: Dr Stephen J Blank One of the most likely candidates for future membership in NATO is the Czech Republic. Inasmuch as the debate over this issue is engaging chancelleries all over the United States and Europe, it is necessary to understand how the prospective members view European security issues, what they hope to gain from membership, and... MORE

Yugoslavia’s Wars: The Problem from Hell
October 1, 1995 — Author: Dr Stephen J Blank The continuing warfare in the former Yugoslavia looms as one of the most intractable problems in contemporary world politics. For four years the international community has struggled merely to contain this fire and prevent it from inflaming a general European crisis. Only now does there seem a real chance of extinguishing... MORE

NATO Strategy in the 1990s: Reaping the Peace Dividend or the Whirlwind?
May 25, 1995 — Author: Dr William T Johnsen Each April the Strategic Studies Institute hosts a conference that addresses key strategic issues facing the Armed Forces and the Nation. This year's theme, "Strategy During the Lean Years: Learning from the Past and the Present," brought together scholars, serving and retired military officers, and civilian defense... MORE

Germany, France and NATO
October 1, 1994 — Authors: Ms Maria Alongi, Dr Peter Schmidt U.S. national strategy and U.S. Army doctrine explicitly establish the overwhelming need for, and value of, coalitions and alliances in the post-cold war era. Two generations of U.S. civil officials and military officers have been inculcated with the precept of NATO's importance to security and stability... MORE

French Policy Toward NATO: Enhanced Selectivity, Vice Rapprochement
September 1, 1994 — Authors: Dr William T Johnsen, Dr Thomas-Durell Young The authors of this report explain how French policy toward NATO has changed since 1992. Importantly, they discuss how these changes have been effected. However, certain key elements of French external policy have not changed. In effect, therefore, the authors argue that while France may wish to... MORE

Partnership for Peace: Discerning Fact from Fiction
August 1, 1994 — Authors: Dr William T Johnsen, Dr Thomas-Durell Young The authors analyze and assess Partnership for Peace (PfP) from the perspective of the political realities which govern NATO. They counter the critics of PfP with an analysis of its exact provisions. Moreover, by drawing on the Alliance's historical record regarding expansion, they argue that... MORE

Trends in German Defense Policy: The Defense Policy Guidelines and the Centralization of Operational Control
June 1, 1994 — Author: Dr Thomas-Durell Young Like most of its NATO allies, the Federal Republic of Germany has undertaken a massive restructuring of its armed forces. The end of the Cold War, the need for unified Germany to assume responsibility for its security, and the current economic recession have made German defense planning extremely difficult. Bonn is... MORE