The Military Aspects of European Security

The end of the Cold War had a dramatic impact on the military aspects of European security. The calculus that defined European security since the end of World War II suddenly was no longer applicable. Nuclear weapons were devalued, and the conceptual basis of multilateral security institutions designed to counter the Soviet threat disappeared. A “peace dividend” euphoria swept publics on both sides of the Atlantic. As domestic support for huge military establishments vanished, governments drastically reduced defense budgets, armaments, and military personnel. At the operational military level, generals and admirals found themselves in possession of concepts and weapons that were no longer applicable to the diffuse threats of the new age.