NATO’s ‘peace-enforcement’ tasks and ‘policy communities’: 1990-1999

Book abstract:

The collapse of communism and the Soviet break-up left NATO seeking a new role, and apart from the political considerations there are a few thousand professionals with strongly embedded self-interest committed to the continuance of the organisation as an instrument of 'regional government'. Those professionals might constitute a 'policy community'. There would be and will continue to be others of varying shape and texture; some motivated by sharing common values and others by sensing common threats. This book explores all these factors which have in turn contributed to the reshaping of the Western Alliance into what is now widely regarded as a 'peacekeeping and peace enforcement' organisation. The various theories are thoroughly tested over six chapters, which discuss topics such as the impact of the Gulf War; the Yugoslav Crisis; NATO's role in the Balkans; the establishment of IFOR; and the war over Kosovo. The final chapter includes two case studies: NATO's 'peace-enforcement' tasks 1990-1995 and NATO's war over Kosovo.

The book will be suitable for academics and practitioners in the field of international relations.