East or Further East?
Article Abstract:
NATO has recently expanded to include several eastern European, formerly communist states. This article uses empirical evidence on alliances and war to argue that this expansion and plans to expand NATO even more may pose a serious threat to international peace since the expanded alliance possesses two of the three major factors that have been found to be associated with war-prone alliances. In addition, it is argued that the expanded alliance may greatly hamper Russia's transition to democracy. The article concludes that a better long-term policy for NATO states to pursue would be an expansion that included Russia but that would be restructured to resolve outstanding territorial disputes in ways similar to the Congress of Vienna of 1815. The potential impact of this expanded NATO on political transitions in the Balkan states is also discussed.
Publication Name: Journal of Peace Research
Subject: International relations
ISSN: 0022-3433
Year: 1999
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External threat and democracy: The role of NATO revisited
Article Abstract:
The way in which former Soviet republics survived and made the transition into democracy with the help of NATO is examined. It is argued that the level of external threat determines whether states will turn democratic or autocratic and it is demonstrated that where NATO was effective in guaranteeing territorial sovereignty and independence by reducing threat perception, states such as Ukraine, Moldova and the Baltic states have survived and created decentralized and democratic governments.
Publication Name: Journal of Peace Research
Subject: International relations
ISSN: 0022-3433
Year: 2006
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Taking arms against a sea of troubles: Conventional arms races during periods of rivalry
Article Abstract:
The study revisits the arms race to war relationship with the hope of resolving a lingering debate in international relations over the effects of arms races. Previous empirical studies in this area suffered from a possible selection effect, rendering them unable to differentiate between the escalatory and deterrent effects of arms races.
Publication Name: Journal of Peace Research
Subject: International relations
ISSN: 0022-3433
Year: 2005
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