International Security
and Strategic Studies
2023-2024
,Table of Contents
1 ISSS Kickoff Session ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4
(In)security as the Foundation of Government (or the lack thereof) ................................................................................................ 4
Sovereign States Provide for #natsec/IOs for collective security or defense .................................................................................. 4
Course Aims ................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Sovereign State Functions and Strategy......................................................................................................................................... 4
Popular criticism of strategic studies ............................................................................................................................................... 4
2 The Soldier and the State .............................................................................................................................................................. 5
The Role of Intelligence .................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Tension In the International System................................................................................................................................................ 6
What is the strategic purpose for military power? ........................................................................................................................... 6
Latent Military Power vs Operational Engagement ......................................................................................................................... 7
What military instruments?.............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Wielding the instrument in function of policy ................................................................................................................................... 7
Policy Reigns Supreme................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Purpose and Spending in Military Establishments .......................................................................................................................... 8
NATO Spending and Equipment ..................................................................................................................................................... 8
New NATO Force Model ................................................................................................................................................................. 8
National Example: Belgium ............................................................................................................................................................. 8
NATO’s Role in Collective Defense ................................................................................................................................................ 8
Defense Policy and Government Responsibilities .......................................................................................................................... 9
3 The Role of IOs in (European) Security ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Security Through International Cooperation: A Key Conceptual Distinction ................................................................................... 9
The UN: A Central But Difficult Role ............................................................................................................................................... 9
Collective Security – the Key Role of the UNSC ........................................................................................................................... 10
Collective Security In (In)Action: The UN And Russia’s War In Ukraine ....................................................................................... 10
The Right of Individual and Collective Self-Defense ..................................................................................................................... 10
UN Peacekeeping Operations ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
NATO: the Political-Military Alliance Underpinning Euro-Atlantic Security .................................................................................... 11
Alliance Burden-Sharing Discussions ........................................................................................................................................... 12
The EU: an Emerging Actor in Security and Defense? ................................................................................................................. 12
CSDP – An Overview.................................................................................................................................................................... 12
The EU’s More Pessimistic Strategic Outlook............................................................................................................................... 12
A Growing EU Toolbox – Some Examples ................................................................................................................................... 13
The EU’s Use Of Its Multiple Levers Of Power In Response To Russia’s War In Ukraine............................................................ 13
4 Deterrence, the Military Balance and Nuclear Weapons........................................................................................................... 14
Overview ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Deterrence and the Military Balance of Power .............................................................................................................................. 14
1
, It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog ..................................................................................... 14
Mind games: Thinking About Deterrence ...................................................................................................................................... 14
Living In The Shadow Of Nuclear Deterrence............................................................................................................................... 15
Nuclear Weapons and International Security ................................................................................................................................ 15
The Unprecedented Power of Nuclear Weapons .......................................................................................................................... 15
What Is a Nuclear Weapon? ......................................................................................................................................................... 15
The Nuclear Revolution and Military Strategy ............................................................................................................................... 15
The ‘Long Peace’: a Consequence Of The Nuclear Revolution .................................................................................................... 16
The Nuclear Ages ......................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Extended Deterrence, Nuclear Sharing And The Conventional Nuclear Spectrum ...................................................................... 16
Whose finger is on the button? ..................................................................................................................................................... 16
3 Strategic Centers of Decision – Multilateral NPG & DCA........................................................................................................... 16
The Third Nuclear Age .................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Towards a Third Nuclear Age ....................................................................................................................................................... 17
Emerging and Disruptive Technologies & Non-Nuclear Strategic Weaponry ............................................................................... 17
Nuclear rhetoric during Russia’s war against Ukraine .................................................................................................................. 17
5 Military Operations And Campaigns........................................................................................................................................... 17
A Continuum Of Action ................................................................................................................................................................. 17
Wielding the instrument in function of policy ................................................................................................................................. 17
Slide Discussion............................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Kabul Airport Evacuation (Summer 2021)..................................................................................................................................... 18
Interplay Between Deterrence and Operations ............................................................................................................................. 18
Operational Engagement .............................................................................................................................................................. 18
Planning of Military Operations ..................................................................................................................................................... 18
Types of Planning ......................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Defense Planning.......................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Logistics ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 19
Special Forces and Cyber Operations .......................................................................................................................................... 19
Missiles and Strategic Planning .................................................................................................................................................... 19
Campaign Design ......................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Example Campaign Design: Baltic Defense Against Russia......................................................................................................... 20
Assessment and Effectiveness ..................................................................................................................................................... 20
Case Study: Afghanistan .............................................................................................................................................................. 20
Special Operations and Other Domains........................................................................................................................................ 21
Strategic and Operational Planning .............................................................................................................................................. 21
NATO and Collective Defense ...................................................................................................................................................... 21
Case Studies and Historical Examples ......................................................................................................................................... 21
Theoretical and Practical Insights ................................................................................................................................................. 22
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Operations Design ........................................................................................................................................................................ 22
2
, Campaign & Operations Design Implementation .......................................................................................................................... 23
Implementation Example – Baltic Defense Against Russia Campaign Design ............................................................................. 24
6 Defense Budgets, Mobilization, And The Defense Technological & Industrial Base ............................................................. 24
Overview ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Some Defense Budgeting Basics.................................................................................................................................................. 25
What Is The Defense Industrial Sector? ....................................................................................................................................... 25
Some Challenges in the (European) Market ................................................................................................................................. 26
The Proverbial Villain: TFEU Article 346 ....................................................................................................................................... 26
The EDTIB, The EDA, and The Role of the European Commission ............................................................................................. 26
Post-2022: Europe’s Defence-Industrial Reawakening ................................................................................................................. 27
Mobilization in the 21st Century? ................................................................................................................................................... 27
Clausewitz’s Trinity and ‘Total Defense’ ....................................................................................................................................... 27
Some Defense Budgeting Basics.................................................................................................................................................. 27
7 Arms Control ................................................................................................................................................................................ 28
Structure ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Why arms control? ........................................................................................................................................................................ 28
Methods of arms control ............................................................................................................................................................... 29
Arms Control Instruments – WMDs............................................................................................................................................... 29
Arms Control Instruments – Conventional Weapons .................................................................................................................... 30
Death Star ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Hot Arms Control Topics ............................................................................................................................................................... 31
Exam Questions .............................................................................................................................................................................. 32
3
and Strategic Studies
2023-2024
,Table of Contents
1 ISSS Kickoff Session ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4
(In)security as the Foundation of Government (or the lack thereof) ................................................................................................ 4
Sovereign States Provide for #natsec/IOs for collective security or defense .................................................................................. 4
Course Aims ................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Sovereign State Functions and Strategy......................................................................................................................................... 4
Popular criticism of strategic studies ............................................................................................................................................... 4
2 The Soldier and the State .............................................................................................................................................................. 5
The Role of Intelligence .................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Tension In the International System................................................................................................................................................ 6
What is the strategic purpose for military power? ........................................................................................................................... 6
Latent Military Power vs Operational Engagement ......................................................................................................................... 7
What military instruments?.............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Wielding the instrument in function of policy ................................................................................................................................... 7
Policy Reigns Supreme................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Purpose and Spending in Military Establishments .......................................................................................................................... 8
NATO Spending and Equipment ..................................................................................................................................................... 8
New NATO Force Model ................................................................................................................................................................. 8
National Example: Belgium ............................................................................................................................................................. 8
NATO’s Role in Collective Defense ................................................................................................................................................ 8
Defense Policy and Government Responsibilities .......................................................................................................................... 9
3 The Role of IOs in (European) Security ........................................................................................................................................ 9
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Security Through International Cooperation: A Key Conceptual Distinction ................................................................................... 9
The UN: A Central But Difficult Role ............................................................................................................................................... 9
Collective Security – the Key Role of the UNSC ........................................................................................................................... 10
Collective Security In (In)Action: The UN And Russia’s War In Ukraine ....................................................................................... 10
The Right of Individual and Collective Self-Defense ..................................................................................................................... 10
UN Peacekeeping Operations ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
NATO: the Political-Military Alliance Underpinning Euro-Atlantic Security .................................................................................... 11
Alliance Burden-Sharing Discussions ........................................................................................................................................... 12
The EU: an Emerging Actor in Security and Defense? ................................................................................................................. 12
CSDP – An Overview.................................................................................................................................................................... 12
The EU’s More Pessimistic Strategic Outlook............................................................................................................................... 12
A Growing EU Toolbox – Some Examples ................................................................................................................................... 13
The EU’s Use Of Its Multiple Levers Of Power In Response To Russia’s War In Ukraine............................................................ 13
4 Deterrence, the Military Balance and Nuclear Weapons........................................................................................................... 14
Overview ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Deterrence and the Military Balance of Power .............................................................................................................................. 14
1
, It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog ..................................................................................... 14
Mind games: Thinking About Deterrence ...................................................................................................................................... 14
Living In The Shadow Of Nuclear Deterrence............................................................................................................................... 15
Nuclear Weapons and International Security ................................................................................................................................ 15
The Unprecedented Power of Nuclear Weapons .......................................................................................................................... 15
What Is a Nuclear Weapon? ......................................................................................................................................................... 15
The Nuclear Revolution and Military Strategy ............................................................................................................................... 15
The ‘Long Peace’: a Consequence Of The Nuclear Revolution .................................................................................................... 16
The Nuclear Ages ......................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Extended Deterrence, Nuclear Sharing And The Conventional Nuclear Spectrum ...................................................................... 16
Whose finger is on the button? ..................................................................................................................................................... 16
3 Strategic Centers of Decision – Multilateral NPG & DCA........................................................................................................... 16
The Third Nuclear Age .................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Towards a Third Nuclear Age ....................................................................................................................................................... 17
Emerging and Disruptive Technologies & Non-Nuclear Strategic Weaponry ............................................................................... 17
Nuclear rhetoric during Russia’s war against Ukraine .................................................................................................................. 17
5 Military Operations And Campaigns........................................................................................................................................... 17
A Continuum Of Action ................................................................................................................................................................. 17
Wielding the instrument in function of policy ................................................................................................................................. 17
Slide Discussion............................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Kabul Airport Evacuation (Summer 2021)..................................................................................................................................... 18
Interplay Between Deterrence and Operations ............................................................................................................................. 18
Operational Engagement .............................................................................................................................................................. 18
Planning of Military Operations ..................................................................................................................................................... 18
Types of Planning ......................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Defense Planning.......................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Logistics ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 19
Special Forces and Cyber Operations .......................................................................................................................................... 19
Missiles and Strategic Planning .................................................................................................................................................... 19
Campaign Design ......................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Example Campaign Design: Baltic Defense Against Russia......................................................................................................... 20
Assessment and Effectiveness ..................................................................................................................................................... 20
Case Study: Afghanistan .............................................................................................................................................................. 20
Special Operations and Other Domains........................................................................................................................................ 21
Strategic and Operational Planning .............................................................................................................................................. 21
NATO and Collective Defense ...................................................................................................................................................... 21
Case Studies and Historical Examples ......................................................................................................................................... 21
Theoretical and Practical Insights ................................................................................................................................................. 22
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................................... 22
Operations Design ........................................................................................................................................................................ 22
2
, Campaign & Operations Design Implementation .......................................................................................................................... 23
Implementation Example – Baltic Defense Against Russia Campaign Design ............................................................................. 24
6 Defense Budgets, Mobilization, And The Defense Technological & Industrial Base ............................................................. 24
Overview ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Some Defense Budgeting Basics.................................................................................................................................................. 25
What Is The Defense Industrial Sector? ....................................................................................................................................... 25
Some Challenges in the (European) Market ................................................................................................................................. 26
The Proverbial Villain: TFEU Article 346 ....................................................................................................................................... 26
The EDTIB, The EDA, and The Role of the European Commission ............................................................................................. 26
Post-2022: Europe’s Defence-Industrial Reawakening ................................................................................................................. 27
Mobilization in the 21st Century? ................................................................................................................................................... 27
Clausewitz’s Trinity and ‘Total Defense’ ....................................................................................................................................... 27
Some Defense Budgeting Basics.................................................................................................................................................. 27
7 Arms Control ................................................................................................................................................................................ 28
Structure ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 28
Why arms control? ........................................................................................................................................................................ 28
Methods of arms control ............................................................................................................................................................... 29
Arms Control Instruments – WMDs............................................................................................................................................... 29
Arms Control Instruments – Conventional Weapons .................................................................................................................... 30
Death Star ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Hot Arms Control Topics ............................................................................................................................................................... 31
Exam Questions .............................................................................................................................................................................. 32
3
