The rise of the People’s Republic of China and Beijing’s hegemonic aspirations pose a challenge to academic research, constituting an issue that is worth of interest and analysis for its...Show moreThe rise of the People’s Republic of China and Beijing’s hegemonic aspirations pose a challenge to academic research, constituting an issue that is worth of interest and analysis for its implications on international relations. This work targets two elements in Chinese foreign politics: the Community of Shared Future for Mankind and the Near-Seas Strategy, each of which has a major role in Beijing’s relations with other countries. Moreover, this thesis proposes that the relation between the two elements is hitherto unexplored and warrants for further investigation, for these topics often recur in IR literature, but only independently. Therefore, it sets to understand the nature of such relation, through an analysis that is both numerical and qualitative – highlighting their meaning, components and implications – as well as an interpretation through the concept of Harmony. The analysis will show that documents and discourses concerning the Community of Shared Future for Mankind focus mostly on peaceful development and (win-win) cooperation, whereas the Near-Seas Strategy expresses and addresses Beijing’s concerns in the South Chinas Sea and towards the ongoing disputes with other countries in the area, namely Taiwan. Finally, the interpretation through the concept of Harmony will shed a light on their coherency towards the goal of a Harmonious society.Show less
The professional military organisations of states generally find it hard to implement military change. Rebel groups, on the other hand, have been depicted as more flexible and adaptive actors than...Show moreThe professional military organisations of states generally find it hard to implement military change. Rebel groups, on the other hand, have been depicted as more flexible and adaptive actors than state militaries. This thesis probes the plausibility of this proposition by conducting an illustrative case study of the Chechen separatist rebel movement. It will be demonstrated that several factors that complicate and impede rebel military change can be identified and that resultantly the effectuation and implementation of military change, especially at the strategic level, is unlikely to be a straightforward process for rebel groups. In this way, the thesis points at the need for the field of military change studies to move beyond its state-centric focus.Show less
Due to several developments in modern warfare and international relations, proxy warfare has become a more recurring phenomenon in the past decades. However, due to the increasingly aggressive...Show moreDue to several developments in modern warfare and international relations, proxy warfare has become a more recurring phenomenon in the past decades. However, due to the increasingly aggressive behaviour of China and Russia, it also seems that inter-state conflicts and peer-competitor rivalry is making a return to international relations. This thesis investigates what the USAF considers to be the future focal point in conflicts, proxy warfare or inter-state conflicts, by analysing three doctrines and three strategic vision documents. It concludes that while the doctrines adhere to contemporary tactical considerations, strategic vision documents which set out long-term prioritisation emphasise inter-state conflicts. This presents two contradicting narratives for USAF force projection.Show less
This thesis investigates how European security and defence shapes German security and defence policy thinking today; and has policy on a European level and the concept of responsibility within...Show moreThis thesis investigates how European security and defence shapes German security and defence policy thinking today; and has policy on a European level and the concept of responsibility within Germany led to the development of military capabilities within the German armed forces. This paper loosely uses discourse analysis to identify motivations and ideas that have shaped German security policy. The paper begins with establishing the theoretical background of European security and defence thinking and illustrates how this is explained in constructivist and realist schools of thought. The next two sections outline the development of German policy from the Cold War till the Crimean conflict. It highlights Germany’s involvement in EU policy, conflict resolution, and the motivations within German policy thinking. The final sections directly cover the Ukrainian crisis and the rhetoric within political circles in Germany and the policy of the EU formed by the European Global Strategy in 2016. The importance of Germany in European security and defence cannot be overstated given the economic clout and the geopolitical situation in and around Europe today.Show less
This thesis has examined the coherence of U.S. foreign policy toward NATO during the Trump presidency. It has compared the political narrative, the policy enunciation, and the policy implementation...Show moreThis thesis has examined the coherence of U.S. foreign policy toward NATO during the Trump presidency. It has compared the political narrative, the policy enunciation, and the policy implementation of the United States toward NATO. As a result, this thesis was able to compare and analyze the political narrative and the actual policy of the United States toward NATO during the Trump presidency.Show less
A research into the failure of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. Both local actors as well as Russia will be researched in order to understand in what way these actors have obstructed a peaceful...Show moreA research into the failure of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process. Both local actors as well as Russia will be researched in order to understand in what way these actors have obstructed a peaceful solution to the peace process in Nagorno-Karabakh. The period that is researched is from approximately 1988 to 2016. The final conclusion of this master thesis is that non of the actors involved are genuinely interested in finding a peaceful solution. All the actors involved have obstructed a peaceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process over the years.Show less
This thesis shows the obstacles EU defense has historically faced and the extent to which present-day initiatives have been designed to (hopefully) overcome at least some of those obstacles. This...Show moreThis thesis shows the obstacles EU defense has historically faced and the extent to which present-day initiatives have been designed to (hopefully) overcome at least some of those obstacles. This thesis shows how recent developments in the EU's security and defence policy, such as PESCO, are designed to overcome institutional, geopolitical and strategic obstacles to the EU's security. The (historic) institutional obstacle to cooperation in the EU's security and defence policy have become obstacles to the EU's security, with the recent change in Europe's security environment; with the more assertive foreign policy of the Russian Federation and the change in US foreign policy under president Donald Trump. This in turn led to a reaction of the EU and its Member States.Show less
This thesis analyses competing discourses around the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. Taking a quantitative approach, several distinct text-mining techniques are applied to political speech...Show moreThis thesis analyses competing discourses around the 2017 Catalan independence referendum. Taking a quantitative approach, several distinct text-mining techniques are applied to political speech transcripts and newspaper opinion pieces of pro-independence and pro-union elites in order to identify broad lexical patterns in discourse. These results are then interpreted with the guidance of previous literature and within the theoretical framework of discursive institutionalism. The analysis finds that the most salient patterns are a pro-union emphasis on law and the constitution, and a pro-independence focus on the symbolic imagery produced by the referendum, such as polling stations, ballot boxes, and police violence. The results also find differing representations of the relationship between Catalonia and Spain, and to a lesser degree, the role of Europe within the dynamic. Taken together, these findings illuminate broad discursive strategies employed by both sides of the independence debate as they seek to either provoke or prevent institutional change.Show less
The UN zero tolerance policy against sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in UN peacekeeping missions has been promulgated in 2003. Fifteen years after the establishment of the policy, SEA is still...Show moreThe UN zero tolerance policy against sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in UN peacekeeping missions has been promulgated in 2003. Fifteen years after the establishment of the policy, SEA is still either an ongoing or potential problem in every single UN peace mission. What are the causes of such policy failure? Why despite a lot of efforts and commitment by the top reaches of the UN, SEA remains the 'cancer' of peacekeeping operations? The objective of this thesis is to delve into this question by investigating various variables in the MONUSCO and MINUSCA missions.Show less
