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  • © 2021

Small States and the New Security Environment

  • Challenges the traditional theories of international relations
  • Focusses on ‘new’ security threats and solutions, such as drones and hybrid warfare
  • Written by leading academics in both small state studies and security studies

Part of the book series: The World of Small States (WSS, volume 7)

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Table of contents (15 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-vi
  2. Small States and the Turning Point in Global Politics

    • Anne-Marie Brady, Baldur Thorhallsson
    Pages 1-11
  3. The Hybrid Challenge and Small States

    • Caroline Kennedy-Pipe, Iftikhar Zaidi
    Pages 27-39
  4. How to Defend Society? Baltic Responses to Hybrid Threats

    • Margrarita Šešelgytė, Neringa Bladaitė
    Pages 73-86
  5. The Conduct of Armenian Foreign Policy: Limits of the Precarious Balance

    • Vahram Ter-Matevosyan, Narek Mkrtchyan
    Pages 203-215

About this book

This book examines the security, defence and foreign policy choices and challenges of small states in NATO and its small partner states in the new security environment. The main aim of the book is to analyse how these states are dealing with current and emerging security challenges and how they might better prepare for these challenges. 
A special focus is on ‘new’ security threats and solutions, such as drones and hybrid warfare. Simultaneously, the book focusses on how small states are responding to emerging ‘old threats’, such as Russian aggression in its neighbouring states and increased activity in the North Atlantic. The book makes an attempt to answer questions like: How are the small states of NATO and its small partner states adjusting to the new geo-political and geo-economic environment? Do small states in NATO manage the tension between alliance commitments differently from small states that are not members of NATO? What are the core strategic interests of the NATO and non-NATO partner small states? 
The book is about the external dimension of inherent size-related difficulties in states and how small states compensate for their inbuilt structural weaknesses compared with their larger neighbouring states. One third of the member states of NATO are small and most NATO partner states are small states too.  Small states frequently have a disproportionate effect on global politics and they are more often affected by global shifts of power, yet they have less resources available to address security challenges. The aim of the book is to enhance the understanding of the role of small states in the changing global international security environment.   
The book presents the theory of shelter (which is derived from the diverse and extensive literature on small states) and uses it to examine how small states respond to new and old security threats. Shelter theory addresses three interrelated issues of common concerns to small states: the reduction of risk before a possible crisis event, assistance in absorbing shocks in times of crises, and help in recovering after such an event. In short, shelter theory claims that small states need external shelter in order to survive and prosper. They are dependent on the economic, political, and societal shelter provided by larger states, as well as regional and international organizations.



Editors and Affiliations

  • Department of Political Sciences and International Relations, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Anne-Marie Brady

  • Faculty of Political Science and the Centre for Small State Studies, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland

    Baldur Thorhallsson

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access