IES Geopolitics Midterm

Key notes for exam

Differences between terrorism and organized crime

Ideology vs economy. For organized crime, it’s just business. Terrorists seek political change; criminals seek financial gain.

Integrated or comprehensive approach principles

Comprehensive Approach: Focuses on addressing the full spectrum of a crisis — not only the conflict itself, but also its causes and consequences (peacebuilding, reconstruction, governance, development). Goes beyond the military dimension to include political, economic, humanitarian, and social tools. Ex. Yugoslavia (Safe and Secure Environment through reconstruction and institution-building). Involves coordination, evaluation, and lessons learned to improve future responses.

Integrated Approach: Focuses on how a state organizes and coordinates all its available instruments of power — political, diplomatic, military, economic, intelligence, social, humanitarian, etc. It’s both horizontal (across ministries, private sector, civil society) and vertical (across levels of government). Ensures legitimacy through balance between security and freedom, proportionality, and democratic control.

Security dilemma

The search for security by one state may generate insecurity in others. Distrust, fear, tensions among States may lead to war. Ex. Nuclear weapons, Cold War

Liberalism and realism principles

Realism: States are self-interested, power-seeking actors in an anarchic system. Security through power and deterrence. (Key authors: Morgenthau, Kennan, Kissinger, Waltz)

Liberalism: Cooperation is possible through institutions, trade, and democracy. Focus on independence and collective security. (Key authors: Immanuel Kant, Joseph Nye, Francis Fukuyama)

Current warfare (how war is nowadays)

1. Blurred lines between combatants/civilians

2. Non-state actors prominent (terror groups, militias)

3. Hybrid warfare: mix of conventional, cyber, informational, and irregular tactics

4. Information and technology are critical – drones, cyberattacks, social media influence

5. Focus on population control, not territory

Failed states characteristics

1. The state is incapable of fulfilling its main duties normally. It loses control of the territory and the monopoly on force: power vacuum.

2. It loses the legitimate authority to make collective decisions. Citizens have no access to basic public services: healthcare, education, infrastructure

3. There is a dispute over international legitimacy between factions within the State

   1. Why failed state:

      1. Decolonization establishing arbitrary borders that forced multiple groups of enemies into the same territories

      2. Inadequate structures

      3. Artificial support from one block during Cold War

Responsibility to protect

1. International norm (UN, 2005): States must protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity

2. If they fail, the international community has a responsibility to act – through diplomatic, humanitarian, or military means

3. Balances sovereignty with human rights

National security strategy principles

1. Protect territory, citizens, and interests

2. Maintain military readiness and alliances

3. Promote stability through diplomacy and development

4. Adapt to new threats (cyber, terrorism, climate)

5. Whole-of-government approach: DIME (Diplomatic, Informational, Military, Economic) tools

Non proliferation treaty main principle (why some states can use nuclear power and why the others cannot)

1. Aim: Prevent spread of nuclear weapons, promote peaceful nuclear energy, and advance disarmament

2. Why some can, others cannot:

   1. 5 “nuclear-weapon states” (US, UK, France, Russia, China) recognized – they had tested weapons before 1967

   2. Others commit not to acquire weapons but can use nuclear energy under IAEA safeguards for peaceful purposes

Organized crime stages

1. Predatory: Gang stage, they do not threaten the state and are easily controllable by the police

2. Parasitic: Corrupts the State and has accomplices within it

3. Symbiotic: Organized crime takes over the State, which becomes subservient to it

Human security concept

“The right of people to live in freedom and dignity, free from poverty and despair... to have equal opportunities to enjoy all their rights and to fully develop their human potential.” Responsibility to Protect (R2P): exercised by the UNSC, authorizes military intervention as a last resort in cases of genocide and other large-scale massacres, ethnic cleansing, and serious violations of humanitarian law, which sovereign governments have shown unwilling or unable to prevent.

Elements of strategy

1. “Ways, ends and means”

   1. Ends: Objectives or goals to achieve

   2. Ways: Methods or approaches to achieve those goals

   3. Means: Resources (military, diplomatic, economic, informational)

2. What’s a Strategy?

   1. Detailed plan to reach success in situations such as war, business… Capacity to plan for those situations

3. How to get to a strategy

   1. Take into account threats and risks

      1. Armed conflicts, economic threats, cyberattacks, terrorism, energy vulnerability, irregular migration, organized crime, mass destruction weapons, emergencies, etc.

      2. Threats enhancers

         1. Threads inter connected, simultaneous, non state actors, natural unpredicted threads, cyber information sphere

   2. How to proceed:

      1. Action lines

         1. Anticipation

         2. Prevention

         3. Deterrence

         4. Resilience

         5. Protect