Defense vs Détente Strategies of National Security Essay

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In this paper, two strategies for maintaining national security will be discussed. The strategies are defense and détente. The defense strategy is mainly used to strengthen a country’s security so that it can exercise its political will (Roskin & Berry, 2010). A strong defense prevents attack by reducing the enemies’ chances of winning a war.

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The main assumptions of the defense strategy include the following. First, opposing countries are likely to be attacked to prevent them from imposing their will on other nations. Second, diplomatic agreements are likely to fail because of distrust. Countries with strong military forces are likely to breach diplomatic treaties if they have a chance to win a war (Roskin & Berry, 2010). This increases distrust, which ultimately undermines diplomatic agreements between countries that heavily depend on defense strategies to ensure national security. Finally, strong or bold enemies increase the risk of war. External aggressors are likely to attack if they are able to succeed and vice versa.

Israel is an example of a country that has used the defense strategy effectively. Over the years, the objective of Hamas and several Islamic states has been to destroy Israel. Thus, the country has had to maintain a very strong military to prevent its enemies from taking over its territories.

The détente strategy involves reducing tensions between countries in order to prevent wars. Countries that use this strategy normally have a strong defense, but are willing to maintain peace (Roskin & Berry, 2010). The main assumptions of the strategy include the following. First, peaceful agreements are likely to be achieved among countries that have common goals (Roskin & Berry, 2010). In this case, the countries are likely to ignore their philosophical and other minor differences in order to achieve a shared goal in a peaceful manner.

Second, the leaders of various countries are likely to accept peaceful agreements that are associated with mutual benefits to prevent mass casualties and economic crises (Roskin & Berry, 2010). This assumption is based on the fact that maintaining peace promotes trade and economic prosperity at the global level.

The relationship between the US/ UN and Iran is an example of effective use of the détente strategy. In the last four years, Iran has reached several agreements with the US and the UN concerning its nuclear development program (Tirman, 2009). As a result, several economic sanctions against Iran have been lifted by the US.

In the last two decades, détente has emerged as the main strategy for ensuring national security. The increase in production of nuclear weapons has reduced the suitability of using force to ensure peace (Chow, 2007). For instance, any country that uses nuclear weapons in a war is likely to cause mass destruction that might transcend its borders. Thus, countries such as India and Pakistan have had to ignore their differences and to focus on détente to maintain peace.

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Moreover, increased globalization has created immense business opportunities in the world economy. Every country is interested in taking advantage of the opportunities by participating in global trade. Thus, the US has focused on détente so that it can trade with its perceived enemies such as Russia, China, and most Arab countries (Chow, 2007). Technologies such as spy satellites have enabled countries to monitor the activities of their trade partners, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of détente.

References

Chow, P. (2007). Economic integration, democratization, and national security. Northamprton, England: Edward Elgar Publishing. Web.

Roskin, M., & Berry, N. (2010). The new world of international relations. San-Francisco, CA: Longman/ Pearson Education. Web.

Tirman, J. (2009). . Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2020) 'Defense vs Détente Strategies of National Security'. 16 June.

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IvyPanda. 2020. "Defense vs Détente Strategies of National Security." June 16, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/defense-vs-dtente-strategies-of-national-security/.

1. IvyPanda. "Defense vs Détente Strategies of National Security." June 16, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/defense-vs-dtente-strategies-of-national-security/.


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IvyPanda. "Defense vs Détente Strategies of National Security." June 16, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/defense-vs-dtente-strategies-of-national-security/.

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