Collective defense

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The collective defense is a traditional system for peacekeeping . In general, it is a military alliance of two or more states. The collaboration is temporary or unlimited. Collective defense systems work on the principle of mutual aid and deterrence. They are established by international treaties (e.g. Warsaw Pact or NATO ). The military strength should lead to a balance, so it will bring about strategic stability.

History of collective defense

There have always been alliances, pacts or alliances between states that served as military support in the event of war. Otto von Bismarck already helped Germany to unification with his sophisticated alliance system (see Unification Wars) and ensured decades without war. However, these alliances have the First and Second World War out. As a result of agreements such as the Entente Cordiale or the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo axis , a conflagration developed across Europe shortly after the outbreak of war and led to the United States entering both world wars.

After World War II, there were two major defense alliances: NATO and the Warsaw Pact . Its foundation is considered to pave the way for the Cold War and the division of Europe. The establishment of a European Defense Community failed in 1954.

Collective defense today

After the collapse of socialism in Eastern Europe and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in 1991, there was only one collective defense system in Europe: NATO. Its aims have been weakened somewhat and it now serves more to maintain peace and democracy, even if the principle is still the duty of assistance under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty . Today there is also a willingness to act without a UN mandate if necessary , as was the case in the 1999 Kosovo conflict . Many of the former Warsaw Pact countries have joined NATO (e.g. Poland , the Czech Republic , Estonia , Bulgaria ), which has accelerated the European unification process.

Existing systems of collective defense

NATO

See: NATO

Collective Security Council

In 1992, some of the successor states of the Soviet Union formed a military alliance under the leadership of Russia for the "Organization of the Treaty on Collective Security" (CSTO). Participants are:

The task of the alliance is to guarantee the security and inviolability of the borders of the member countries of the CSTO. The organization is based in Moscow . The chairmanship changes between the participating countries.

Legal Aspects

The Basic Law (GG) in Article 24, Paragraph 2 expressly allows Germany to participate in “a system of mutual collective security to maintain peace” through “classification” into it. The restrictions on German sovereignty are intended to "bring about and secure a peaceful and lasting order in Europe and between the peoples of the world" ( see also "Transferability" of sovereign rights ).

Bundeswehr missions that are not purely humanitarian within the NATO framework have only been possible since 1994, as the Federal Constitutional Court, in a landmark ruling, its so-called out-of-area decision , described NATO as a system of collective security . Such missions of the Federal Republic of Germany are permitted in systems of collective defense .

See also

literature

  • Matthias Dembinski: NATO. On the way from the collective defense organization to the open security community? In: Mir A. Ferdowsi (Ed.): International Politics in the 21st Century . Munich 2002, ISBN 3-8252-2284-5 .
  • Sabine Jaberg: Systems of collective security in and for Europe in theory, practice and design. A systems science attempt . Nomos-Verlagsgesellschaft, Baden-Baden 1998, ISBN 3-7890-5131-4 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dieter Deiseroth : Fundamental Difference - Is NATO a Defense Alliance or a "System of Mutual Collective Security"? , published by the Peace Research Group at the University of Kassel.

Web links