Author: Sophie Groenheijde
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Stoltenberg Out, Rutte In
What can be expected from Mark Rutte as NATO’s new Secretary General? This article examines Rutte’s thirteen years as Dutch prime minister, marked by crisis management and coalition-building, qualities now essential for NATO. With tensions escalating from Russia, China, and within NATO itself, Rutte’s diplomatic skills and pragmatic approach to international relations are crucial. Despite…
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International Criminal Court
In The Hague, the Netherlands, the International Criminal Court prosecutes individuals based on the 2002 Rome Statute. The Rome Statute allows for the prosecution of individuals who committed genocide, crimes of aggression, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. In contrast to the International Court of Justice, the ICC is not a UN organ and does…
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Hybrid Warfare
Hybrid warfare is a contested concept. In its broadest form, it can be described as the use of different actors and different types of warfare. Specifically, actors may include regular military units, guerilla fighters, and terrorists. Combatants can also employ various tactics, ranging from physical military force to hacking and disinformation. Nevertheless, whether hybrid warfare…
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Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi was an Indian lawyer and anti-colonial activist. He is best known for “satyagraha,” his nonviolent opposition to British colonialism. In addition to peaceful non-cooperation, “satyagraha” emphasised non-possession and religious tolerance. The latter meant that despite supporting independence from British rule, Gandhi opposed the partitioning of British India into a Muslim-majority Pakistan and a…
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Absolutism
Absolutism asserted that by divine right, all power should be centred in the hands of the reigning monarch. To enable absolutism, monarchs relied on a professional standing army and a large bureaucratic apparatus to execute their will. Often, absolutist monarchs showcased their power in lavish palaces like Louis XIV’s Versailles.
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Friction and Fog of War
“Everything in war is simple, but the simplest thing is difficult.” This quote by Clausewitz encapsulates the meaning of “friction”. The concept refers to minor problems in implementing a battle plan. These issues accumulate, constituting the difference between a plan and its implementation. Related to friction is the problem regarding uncertainty of knowledge. Although Clausewitz…
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Pol Pot
As the leader of the Khmer Rouge, Pol rose to power in 1975 in the aftermath of the Cambodian civil war. The Khmer Rouge were a radical communist movement in Cambodia. Trying to establish a self-sufficient agrarian utopia, Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge forced millions into forced labour. The resulting famines and executions due to paranoia…
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Natech Disasters
The “Double Disaster”: Natech stands for Natural-Hazard-Induced Technological accidents. It describes a scenario where a natural event (e.g., an earthquake) triggers a technological failure (e.g., a chemical leak or nuclear meltdown). Complexity of Response: They are harder to manage because emergency services must deal with the natural catastrophe and a hazardous material release simultaneously, often…
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Treaty of Versailles
The 1919 Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty ending the First World War between Germany and the Allied Powers of Great Britain, the US, and France. Defeated Germany had to pay reparations and limit its army to 100’000 men. Germany further lost its colonies and made territorial concessions in Europe. Advocates believed the treaty…
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Josip Broz Tito
Tito-Stalin Split: Defied the USSR in 1948, proving that a communist state could remain independent from Moscow’s direct control and influence. Self-Management: Implemented a unique economic system where workers managed their own enterprises, diverging from the Soviet-style command economy. Brotherhood and Unity: Suppressed ethnic nationalism through a shared Yugoslav identity, maintaining stability across the volatile…