ABSTRACT
Western collective defense has been challenged by several developments. The end of the classic Soviet military threat has removed the epicenter of confrontation. Collective defense in the West faces another challenge as well. There is growing emphasis in the West, especially within Western Europe, on the further development of the CSCE process. The Alliance will increasingly become a framework for defining collective actions. The Soviet threat is posed not only by a direct military challenge; perhaps not even primarily does it pose such a threat in current conditions. The strategy of deterrence rested on several key components. First, there was a clear enemy to deter and an enemy with a highly centralized decision-making structure that understood the language of deterrence. Second, a clear bifurcation of enemies and friends was necessary to focus military planning. A new strategy of crisis management and conflict prevention might begin to address the new problems and challenges.
