Why do Europeans need armed forces?

European armed forces are in a malaise, not only due to economic problems but also because of two political ones: complacency, and a misconstrued approach to using military force. These failings call for a conceptual reappraisal of the utility of European military power, and a better understanding of both the active and passive uses of armed force.

The active use of armed force – essentially responding to crises – is sometimes unavoidable, but is usually a sign of foreign policy failure, while passive use aims to prevent crises by using military power to build relationships with foreign governments. Europeans should focus the use of their power on two geopolitical zones: one stretching from Suez to Shanghai, the other curving from Marrakech to Moscow.