INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Security Challenges in the Post-Cold War Era

Security Challenges in the Post-Cold War Era

Introduction

The Cold War was the political tension that existed between the two former Super Powers of the International community: United States and Soviet Union. Because of the policies the two super powers adopted I quest of supremacy the cold war extended to majority of the nations (Domber, 2011, pp. 67). The end of Cold War in 1990s had a dual effect on the international relations. While the withdrawal of Soviet Union military from the Eastern Europe and third world countries contributed to an end of the cold war (Roberts, 1999, pp 123), the democratization was also advocated in several states that were yearning for democratic form of government. It was also “thought” to pave the way for many industrial revolutions as the tension between east and west was “thought” to ease down (Ercan, 2008, pp. 44).

On the other hand the change that was thought to restore world peace resulted in the distortion of the harmony among the nations. Nuclear proliferation was augmented and international security was challenged. The document explores the ways in which international relations were affected and how international security was actually challenged. It further describes the role of United Nation in combating with the post cold war challenges (Powaski, 1998, pp. 124).

Discussion

The Cold War between Soviet Union and United States subjugated security considerations and new post cold war era was thought to start as countries of the Eastern Bloc surfaced to claim democracy and independence. It was exhilarating time, full of optimism and to many it was seen as the star of new history. Hopes were the wide spread assets that advocated that countries would now be able to implement collective security initiatives as the mistrust was supposed to dissolve after the cold war negotiations.

However the conditions that prevailed in post cold war era thwarted off the optimism that existed among the nations. The Russian Federation and its former Soviet neighbors got into economic turmoil. The economies of the Asian tigers collapsed thereby aiding to the political disturbances across the region thereby threatening the stability of the western financial institutions (Dierckxsens, 1994). The Cold War paved the way for more security challenges such as proliferation of the weapons of Mass Destruction, international terrorism, augmentation of extremism and ethnic nationalism. People had great optimism, they believed that the long existing tension among the world super powers would now end and thereby the globe will live under the paradigm of peace however the end of post world war did not bring any change to the society but actually contributed to the phase of extremism and terrorism experienced by world (Khosla,1999).

The Bloc Division

Due to the cold war the sanguinity and hopefulness among the world population regarding living under the paradigm of harmony and unity in this world ended abruptly. Prior to the Cold war the nation of the world was divided into three blocks, the first group, headed by United States was supporting capitalism ...