ABSTRACT
Arctic security in terms of war and peace is driven by international systemic forces of great-power conflict. Since the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763) the geostrategic role of, and thinking about, the North Atlantic Arctic has been stable. The Napoleonic Wars, Crimean War, World Wars I and II and the Cold War affected the Arctic for geostrategic reasons. Current and future Arctic security reflects the post-Cold War international system, a resurgent Russia and the rise of China. The Arctic is not exceptional, and Arctic conflict based on competition for natural resources made accessible by climate change is unlikely.
