INTERNATIONAL SECURITY FROM COLD WAR TO NEW WARS

Following the end of the cold war, many scholars have engaged in discussion about the nature of war in the contemporary era. There are good reasons to do so. The end of the cold war;

1)      Brought about the demise of super powers competition

2)      The freeing of Eastern Europe from communism

3)      Militarism appeared to be on the decline

4)      Reinvigorating of the UN as an important global actor.

5)      The end of conscription in some states like France

6)      The demise of large standing armies in Russia

7)      State no longer appears preoccupied by preparation for war. Western states are cutting defense budget.

Countervailing trends since the end of cold war

Before declaring an outbreak of peace and the obsolescence of war, it is wise to be cautious, there are countervailing trends

             I.      Since the end of cold war, Europe has witnessed resurgence of armed conflicts

          II.      In other parts of the world civil wars and sub- states struggles appears to be proliferating

       III.      Qualitative shift towards the use of massive violence among terrorists groups

These changes have led some authors to claim that we are witnessing an outbreak of NEW WARS inspired by the global politics of 1990’s and characterized by features like

                                                              i.            Criminality

                                                            ii.            Ethnic hatred

                                                          iii.            primitism