Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book will seek to disentangle the various structural, institutional, material, cultural and agential causes that contributed to the differences in behaviour that one could observe during this period. It postulates that among the various factors that contributed to each state's distinct reactions, strategic culture is a particularly important cause of the observed differences in behaviour. It then outlines the research methodology and strategy. The book discusses, During the Cold War, rationalist theories have come to dominate international relations (IR) as well as its subfields of security studies and foreign policy analysis. One obstacle to more comprehensive theory building in this regard lies in theoretical approaches to the use of force not fully grasping the full nature of this social phenomenon. The book discusses the five states are largely embedded in the same institutional structure. With the exception of Australia all states are NATO Member-States.