The End Of Postwar Europe? NATO, Power, And The Return Of Hard Security

The End of Postwar Europe? NATO, Power, and the Return of Hard Security offers a structured, multi-part analysis of Europe's changing security landscape after the end of the post–Cold War order. Part I, "The Unravelling of the Post–Cold War Order", situates the war in Ukraine within a longer trajectory: the reset with Russia, the illusion of a "long holiday from history", and the neglected signals from the Balkans to Georgia, Crimea, and Donbas. Part II, "A Continent Rearms", explores how European states are rebuilding their military capabilities: from Sweden and Finland abandoning neutrality to Germany's proclaimed Zeitenwende and the sharpening of NATO's Eastern Front. Part III, "Power, Politics, and Dependence", examines the transformed dynamics of transatlantic security: Europe's dense network of mutual dependence, debates about American reliability, and the EU's emergence as a security actor amid calls for "economies at war-readiness". Part IV, "Futures for European Security", develops scenarios for Europe's strategic choices—containment, escalation, or cold peace; resilient democracies under strain; and Europe's potential roles as protector, client, or bystander in an increasingly multipolar system. Grounded in a broad literature review and contemporary strategic debates, this volume will be valuable for university courses in international relations, security studies, and European politics, as well as for analysts and practitioners seeking a comprehensive framework to understand Europe's re-entry into an age of hard security.