septembrie 13, 2009

Appeasement ²

by George Visan • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author, War and Politics • Tags: Adolf Hitler, Appeasement, Édouard Daladier, balancing, bandwagoning, Czechoslovakia, France, Great Britain, international system, Joseph Stalin, Munich, Nazi Germany, Neville Chamberlain, Poland, Western Powers, World War II

Munich Agreement: Neville Chamberlain, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Edouard Deladier, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Galeazzo Ciano

Munich Agreement: Neville Chamberlain, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Edouard Daladier, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Galeazzo Ciano

The term appeasement is unpopular today both in politics and in academia as it is associated with the policy pursued by France and Great Britain towards Nazi Germany in the 1930s. The highpoint of this policy was reached on September 29, 1938 in Munich when the Western Powers gave in to Hitler’s territorial demands concerning Czechoslovakia. Since then the term has been associated with political and military weakness and treachery. This article represents the second installment in a series dedicated to the commemorations of 70 years since the start of World War II and will deal with the political implications of appeasement. In the following lines I will outline the meaning of appeasement and its implications for the international system. My approach will draw upon the work of Robert Gilpin and of Mark R. Brawley and will concentrate on defining appeasement and explaining the political context in which it was implemented.

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septembrie 3, 2009

World War II: Seventy years after ^Răspunde

by George Visan • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author, War and Politics • Tags: appeasment, Atlantic, atomic bombings, Bretton Woods, Cold War, France, Great Britain, hegemonic war, hegemony, Hiroshima, Hitler, Nagasaki, Nazi Germany, Pacific, Raymond Aron, Robert Gilpin, Start of WW II, the Alies, the Axis, UN, United States, USSR, World War II

World War II fighting

Few events have had such a deep impact on world history as the conflict that griped the international system seventy years ago. As all great power wars in the last five hundred years it started in Europe, with a bid a for hegemony made by a Germany, the second in twenty-five years, but it soon spread to North Africa, the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. World War II was a total war, the second in less than a generation, and as such it involved attacks on civilians and genocide. From a military and strategic point of view it was a total war, as the aim of the war was the re-ordering of the entire international system and the destruction of some of its members; its scope was not limited to the European continent, it saw an unprecedented level of societal mobilization for the war effort in every country involved and it was prosecuted with every means available, culminating in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

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iulie 20, 2009

Central and Eastern European fears ²

by George Visan • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: Afghanistan, Alexandr Vondra, Barack Obama, CEE, Central and Easter Europe, Czech Republic, Emil Constantinescu, energy security, EU, Iran, Lech Walesa, Martin Butora, Matyas Eorsi, Middle East, missile shield, NATO, North Korea, Poland, realism, Russia, Russian foreign policy, trans-Atlantic link, US foreign policy, US-Russia summit, Vaclav Havel, Valdas Adamkus, Visa Waiver, Washington

A group of Central and Eastern European intellectuals and former chiefs of state have published on July 16 an open letter to the President of the United States of America, voicing their concerns regarding the current state of relations between the countries of this region and the United States. The letter comes after the US-Russia summit and is signed by Vaclav Havel, Lech Walesa, Emil Constantinescu, Valdas Adamkus, Martin Butora, Matyas Eorsi, Alexandr Vondra and other important figures who have played a part in the recent history of Central and Eastern Europe. In the letter they emphasize the role played by the United States in Central Europe’s (CEE) transition from authoritarianism to democracy, remind Washington of the contribution made by the countries of this region to the American war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan, while deploring the fact that the CEE is no longer a priority for US foreign policy. The letter criticizes the new “realist” foreign policy of the Obama Administration concerning Europe and Russia, with the shadow of Yalta looming large in the minds of the signatories.

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iulie 6, 2009

An odd gesture ^Răspunde

by George Visan • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author, Romanian Politics • Tags: Cristian Diaconescu, Emil Boc, EU, Russia, strategic partnership, Traian Băsescu, United States, US embassy

Last week Romanian President Traian Băsescu refused to attend the reception hosted by the American embassy in Bucharest to celebrate the 4^th of July. This is the first time since fall of communism that a Romanian president has refused to attend the celebration hosted by the embassy. It is an odd gesture coming from a president known for his pro-American stance. The official explanation of the Romanian Presidency concerning the absence of the president from the reception was that Traian Băsescu had a busy schedule on July 2^nd. Instead Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc, and the minister of Foreign Affairs Cristian Diaconescu both attended the reception along with a host of important Romanian personalities.

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iunie 19, 2009

Romania’s fighter dilemma ^Răspunde

by George Visan • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Dassault Rafale, EADS, Elbit, Eurofighter Typhoon, F-16, F-22 Raptor, F/A-18, fighter, Gripen, Israel, MiG-21 Fishbed, Poland, Romanian Air Force, Romanian foreign policy, Saab, Sweden, Traian Băsescu, United States

As part of an ambitious 15 billion euros modernization plan, conceived in 2005, Romania should have replaced by now its aging fighter force with a new modern multipurpose aircraft. However, political difficulties, internal wrangling and the economic crisis of September 2008 have delayed these plans and threaten Romania’s ability to protect its airspace and fulfill its obligations as a NATO member.

The mainstay of the Romanian Air Force for almost forty years has been the Soviet built MiG-21 Fishbed, which has now become hopelessly outdated and needs replacement. A series of upgrades and overhauls in the mid 90’s have allowed the MiG-21 fleet to stay airborne until 2012 and maintain a decent degree of interoperability with other NATO partners. However the life expectancy of these air crafts is now almost over and they offer little military capabilities. Consequently in 2006 the Romanian Ministry of Defense decided to allocate 4.5 billion dollars to buy 48 new multipurpose fighters for the Air Force. The decision to buy these fighters should have been taken in 2008, but for political and economic reasons it has now been deferred most likely until 2010.

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mai 18, 2009

The Austrian Embassy in Bucharest has sprung a leak ^Răspunde

by George Visan • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: Austria, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, Cristian Diaconescu, energy security, espionage, EU, European Commission, European Elections, International Court of Justice, Jose Manuel Borroso, Moldova, Nabucco, PEOP, Qatar, Russia, Traian Băsescu, Ukraine

I should start by saying that someone at the Austrian Embassy in Bucharest had a really bad day at the office this Sunday… In short it seems someone from the embassy’s staff has leaked a memo, written by Ambassador Martin Eichtinger in which he surmises Romania’s position on thorny diplomatic issues concerning energy security, EU-Russian relations and Turkey’s accession to the EU. The document reveals not only Romania’s foreign policy agenda and positions, but also possible future decisions the government will take in the near future regarding the Nabucco gas pipeline, the PEOP project (Constanta-Trieste oil pipeline) the national energy security strategy, the current situation in Moldova, relations with Russia and Ukraine. All the informations in the leaked document are taken from statements which president Traian Basescu made to EU diplomats or from his meetings with various European and regional leaders. In essence the document is nothing more than a diplomatic report which every embassy has to send back home to the foreign ministry. This particular document was destined for the Austrian foreign ministry and for the Austrian embassies in Chisinau, Bruxelles, Kiev and Moscow.

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aprilie 8, 2009

#pman: The Revolution in Moldova on Twitter ^Răspunde

by civitas politics • Analysis, Andrei Tiut, English content, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: CNN, Mihai Moscovici, Moldova, Orange Revolutions, Protests in Chisinau, Revolutie Chisinau, Revolutie on-line, Twitter, Twitter Revolution, Vladimir Voronin, Vocea Basarabiei

Several reports yesterday and today wonder whether Twitter was or was not instrumental in mobilizing the crowds during the current Chişinău riots (see here several links). While most of them believe that Twitter was not effective in organizing the riots, there are few if any answers to the question: what does Twitter serve for.

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martie 1, 2009

Nabucco’s future uncertain ³

by George Visan • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: Angela Merkel, Central Europe, Cold War, Czech Presidency, Eastern Europe, Economic crisis, energy security, EU, European Commission, Gazprom, Germany, Nabucco, Russia, Russian foreign policy, Russo-German relations, Southstream

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has declared today after the informal EU summit called by the current Czech Presidency of the European Union and the Presidency of the European Commission in concern with the effects of the economic crisis and possible remedies, that Germany is against any public funding for the Nabucco project. This means that any hopes for EU funds to help develop this alternative energy route have been dashed. Without German support it is doubtful than any funding will be released in order to give the go ahead for this long delayed pipeline that would have circumvented the Russian monopoly on gas deliveries to Europe.

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ianuarie 22, 2008

What type of ally is Romania? ¹

by George Visan • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: Black Sea, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, NATO, Romanian foreign policy, Russian foreign policy, Traian Băsescu, US Allies, US foreign policy

A recent article titled “A Tale of Two Allies” which was published in the American newspaper Christian Science Monitor has sparked furore in the Romanian media. In brief the article accompanied in the electronic edition of the Christian Science Monitor by an interview with A. Wess Mitchell, Director of Research at the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington D.C. analyzes the way in which the United States of America deals with its allies in Europe. The article basically argues, using Poland and Romania as examples, that the United States of America classifies its allies in two categories: mature allies-partners which do not require coaxing, as the article argues and another category (which I call it allies of opportunity, since the article fails to give a proper category) with which the United States has a relation based on reciprocity.

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noiembrie 28, 2007

When Internal Politics Affects Foreign Policy ⁴

by George Visan • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: Calin Popescu Tariceanu, ENI, Gazprom, Hans Morgenthau, political realism, Rayond Aron, Romanian foreign policy, Russia, Traian Băsescu, Ukraine

Hans Morgenthau, one of the most remarkable thinkers in international relations, argued that the difference between internal politics and foreign policy is not a difference of kind, but of degree. Another great theorist of international relations, Raymond Aron, argued that a political unit, meaning a state defines itself partially by being capable of external action – foreign policy. Using these two theoretical benchmarks as starting points for this article I will argue that the current crisis in Romania’s internal politics have affected its foreign policy in a negative way. This article is the third instalment in the series of articles dedicated to Romania’s foreign policy.

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octombrie 22, 2007

Romania’s Draft Foreign Policy “Strategy”: Does it really provide a Coherent Action Plan for Romania’s Diplomacy? ¹

by George Visan • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: Black Sea, EU, Moldova, Nabucco, NATO, Romanian foreign policy, Russia, United States

This is the second instalment from the series of articles regarding Romanian foreign policy I promised I will publish on this blog. In this article I will discuss and comment the draft 10 year foreign policy strategy which has been recently published by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Actually the word strategy does not properly describe the document – it is more a list of priorities and objectives for Romania’s diplomacy for the next ten years. In this respect the word strategy is a misnomer – but for practical purposes, I will refer to it as a strategy (the document is meant to ignite a public debate concerning Romania’s foreign policy in the next decade).

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septembrie 25, 2007

Major Issues in Romania’s Foreign Policy ^Răspunde

by George Visan • Analysis, English content, George Visan, International Affairs, Posts by author • Tags: Afghanistan, Black Sea, Caucasus, Iraq, Nabucco, NATO, Russia, Transnistria, Ukraine, US foreign policy

This article is the first in a series of articles that I will publish on this blog dealing with Romania’s foreign policy. In this article I will outline the major international issues Romania’s foreign policy has to deal with in the international system. I will provide a brief description of these major issues and I will comment them according to their relevance. The other articles in the series will deal with the new draft ten year foreign policy strategy which has just been published by the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and with the cohesiveness and coherence of Romania’s foreign policy – with a major emphasis on the relations between the branches of the executive and internal political conflicts. The issues are divided according to their importance, relevance and urgency.

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