European Security in the Twenty-First Century The Challenge of Multipolarity [Paperback]

Combining a sophisticated theoretical analysis with detailed empirical case-studies, this book provides an original view of the challenges and threats to a stable peace order in Europe.

The end of Cold War bipolarity has transformed Europe. Using structural realist theory, Adrian Hyde-Price analyzes the new security agenda confronting Europe in the twenty-first century. Europe, he argues, is not primed for peace as mainstream thinking suggests, rather, it faces new security threats and the challenge of multipolarity. This critical and original volume looks at European security after the Iraq War, the failure of the EU constitution and the change of government in Germany. Reflecting on the inherently competitive and tragic nature of international politics, it concludes that realism provides the only firm foundations for an ethical foreign and security policy.

European Security in the Twenty-First Centurywill appeal to students and scholars of international relations, European politics and security studies.

1. Introduction  2. Liberalism and the End of the Cold War  3. Realist International Theory  4. Anarchy and Power in the European Security System  5. Transatlantic Relations and Continental Drift  6. Western Europe: The Limits of Integration  7. Germany: Europe's Zentralmacht  8. Russia, Eastern Europe and Mitteleuropa  9. Realism, Tragedy and Ethics