THE SHIFT OF GERMANY IN SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICIES: AN ANALYSIS IN FRAME OF NEOCLASSICAL REALISM

Esra Ağralı

Article Details

THE SHIFT OF GERMANY IN SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICIES: AN ANALYSIS IN FRAME OF NEOCLASSICAL REALISM

Authors:

Esra Ağralı

Publisher:

Marmara University

Main Topics:

Avrupa Çalışmaları

Journal:

Marmara Üniversitesi Avrupa Araştırmaları Enstitüsü Avrupa Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.32 Issue 2, pp.143-169

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2024

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001341067

pISSN:

1301-1359

Keywords:

Abstract:

 After the Second World War, Germany underwent a period of profound transformation as it sought to rebuild its identity and political structure. The countrys post-war reorientation was driven by an aspiration for enhanced integration with the Western world, In the immediate post-war period, Germanys primary objective was to regain its legitimacy and participate in the Western European security architecture with a period of initial proximity with the Atlanticist wing. However; with the unification of East and West Germany, its foreign policy identity and discourses underwent a period of significant change; moreover, over time, Germany experienced a policy shift from Atlanticism to Europeanism. In Germany, normative concerns are among the most important factors in determining national foreign policy. The countrys policy of non-support for unilateral military operations, its advocacy of a conciliatory response to international crises, and its inclination towards greater integration within the contexts of CFSP and CSDP indicate a strategic culture that values civilian power. This article aims to elucidate Germanys Europeanist approach to the CSDP by examining the factors that shape it from a neoclassical realist perspective. The impact of leadership on policy formulation, coupled with the influence of domestic dynamics on the decisions of policymakers, highlights the neoclassical realism approach as a more appropriate framework for interpreting Germanys actions. This perspective facilitates a comprehensive analysis of Germanys strategic culture and its effects on the CSDP, while also elucidating the factors driving the shift from its traditionally Atlanticist orientation toward the CSDP to a more Europeanist stance.

 After the Second World War, Germany underwent a period of profound transformation as it sought to rebuild its identity and political structure. The countrys post-war reorientation was driven by an aspiration for enhanced integration with the Western world, In the immediate post-war period, Germanys primary objective was to regain its legitimacy and participate in the Western European security architecture with a period of initial proximity with the Atlanticist wing. However; with the unification of East and West Germany, its foreign policy identity and discourses underwent a period of significant change; moreover, over time, Germany experienced a policy shift from Atlanticism to Europeanism. In Germany, normative concerns are among the most important factors in determining national foreign policy. The countrys policy of non-support for unilateral military operations, its advocacy of a conciliatory response to international crises, and its inclination towards greater integration within the contexts of CFSP and CSDP indicate a strategic culture that values civilian power. This article aims to elucidate Germanys Europeanist approach to the CSDP by examining the factors that shape it from a neoclassical realist perspective. The impact of leadership on policy formulation, coupled with the influence of domestic dynamics on the decisions of policymakers, highlights the neoclassical realism approach as a more appropriate framework for interpreting Germanys actions. This perspective facilitates a comprehensive analysis of Germanys strategic culture and its effects on the CSDP, while also elucidating the factors driving the shift from its traditionally Atlanticist orientation toward the CSDP to a more Europeanist stance.

 After the Second World War, Germany underwent a period of profound transformation as it sought to rebuild its identity and political structure. The countrys post-war reorientation was driven by an aspiration for enhanced integration with the Western world, In the immediate post-war period, Germanys primary objective was to regain its legitimacy and participate in the Western European security architecture with a period of initial proximity with the Atlanticist wing. However; with the unification of East and West Germany, its foreign policy identity and discourses underwent a period of significant change; moreover, over time, Germany experienced a policy shift from Atlanticism to Europeanism. In Germany, normative concerns are among the most important factors in determining national foreign policy. The countrys policy of non-support for unilateral military operations, its advocacy of a conciliatory response to international crises, and its inclination towards greater integration within the contexts of CFSP and CSDP indicate a strategic culture that values civilian power. This article aims to elucidate Germanys Europeanist approach to the CSDP by examining the factors that shape it from a neoclassical realist perspective. The impact of leadership on policy formulation, coupled with the influence of domestic dynamics on the decisions of policymakers, highlights the neoclassical realism approach as a more appropriate framework for interpreting Germanys actions. This perspective facilitates a comprehensive analysis of Germanys strategic culture and its effects on the CSDP, while also elucidating the factors driving the shift from its traditionally Atlanticist orientation toward the CSDP to a more Europeanist stance.

 İkinci Dünya Savaşının ardından Almanya, kimliğini ve siyasi yapısını yeniden inşa etmeye çalıştığı derin bir dönüşüm sürecinden geçmiştir. Savaş sonrası dönemde Almanyanın öncelikli hedefi meşruiyetini yeniden kazanmak ve Atlantikçi kanada yakınlaşarak Batı Avrupa güvenlik mimarisine dahil olmaktı. Ancak Doğu ve Batı Almanyanın birleşmesiyle birlikte dış politika kimliği ve söylemleri önemli bir değişim sürecine girmiş; dahası Almanya zaman içinde Atlantikçilikten Avrupacılığa doğru bir politika kayması yaşamıştır. Almanyada normatif kaygılar ulusal dış politikanın belirlenmesinde en önemli faktörler arasında yer almaktadır. Ülkenin tek taraflı askeri operasyonları desteklememe politikası, uluslararası krizlere uzlaşmacı bir yanıt verilmesini savunması ve ODGP ve OGSP bağlamında daha fazla entegrasyona yönelmesi, sivil güce değer veren bir stratejik kültüre işaret etmektedir. Bu makale, Almanyanın OGSPye yönelik Avrupacı yaklaşımını neoklasik realist bir perspektiften şekillendiren faktörleri inceleyerek aydınlatmayı amaçlamaktadır. Liderliğin politika formülasyonu üzerindeki etkisi ve iç dinamiklerin politika yapıcıların kararları üzerindeki etkisi, neoklasik realizm yaklaşımının Almanyanın eylemlerini yorumlamak için daha uygun bir çerçeve olduğunu vurgulamaktadır. Bu bakış açısı, Almanyanın stratejik kültürünün ve bunun OGSP üzerindeki etkilerinin kapsamlı bir analizini kolaylaştırırken, OGSPye yönelik geleneksel Atlantikçi yöneliminden daha Avrupacı bir duruşa kaymasına neden olan faktörleri de aydınlatmaktadır.

Article Details

THE SHIFT OF GERMANY IN SECURITY AND DEFENCE POLICIES: AN ANALYSIS IN FRAME OF NEOCLASSICAL REALISM

Authors:

Esra Ağralı

Publisher:

Marmara University

Main Topics:

Avrupa Çalışmaları

Journal:

Marmara Üniversitesi Avrupa Araştırmaları Enstitüsü Avrupa Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.32 Issue 2, pp.143-169

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2024

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001341067

pISSN:

1301-1359

EU

Germany

Neoclassical realism

CSDP

Civilian PowerAB

Almanya

Neoklasik Realizm

OGSP

Sivil Güç.

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Esra Ağralı

Publisher: Marmara University

Main Topics: Avrupa Çalışmaları

Journal: Marmara Üniversitesi Avrupa Araştırmaları Enstitüsü Avrupa Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.32 Issue 2, pp.143-169

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 12/2024

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 2001341067

pISSN: 1301-1359

Issues

Authors:

Esra Ağralı

Publisher:

Marmara University

Main Topics:

Avrupa Çalışmaları

Journal:

Marmara Üniversitesi Avrupa Araştırmaları Enstitüsü Avrupa Araştırmaları Dergisi Vol.32 Issue 2, pp.143-169

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

12/2024

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

2001341067

pISSN:

1301-1359