Class 6

Question 1

How did world order change with cold war?

Answer 1

Cold war was the setup for the emergence of bigger and better institutions.

Cold War: unprecedented concentration of power in two superpowers competing on a global scale and in all dimensions.

Post Cold War: prepoderance of the USA and imposition of its principles across the Globe. The turning point can be comparable to other turning points in history that transformed international politics, like the end of napoleonic wars, or the end of both world wars. Moment of reconstruction and rebalance of world order.

Characteristics of Post Cold war:

Withdrawal rather than defeat of USSR.

The need for diplomatic consultation between enemy-neighbours. 

Western multilateral organizations are relegitimised by agreements that replace the logic of strategic confrontation with the rules of cooperative security. (No rejection of cold war and its institutions, in fact there was a reinforcement, including NATO.)

Question 2

What are the disruptions of

Answer 2

The disruption of the mid 2000s:

Emergence of China as defying power, in alliance with Russia

Trump and the populist wave in Europe: Unstable leadership of the US and the withdrawal of the role of leader of the International Liberal Order

Erosion of International Institution, especially in the economic field

Weak states and terrorism, exploited by Russia

Climate change becomes real