Alliance Formation and Dissolution: The Debates on NATO After the Cold War

Author/s:

DOI: 10.51448/tde.2021.5

Year: 2021 Vol: 3 Number: 1

Abstract

This paper examines the alliance formation and dissolution among the states in the context of NATO after the Cold War. The ending of the Cold War triggered a scientific battle between the theoretical positions of the international politics. One of the main dimensions of these theoretical debates has been the alliance formation and dissolution. The future of NATO became the theme that the theoretical approaches constitute their rightness. Neorealist, neoliberal institutionalist and constructivist theories were comparatively examined, and they were also criticised in connection with the context of these theories over the alliance formation and dissolution perspectives. Furthermore, the theoretical views were embraced in the case of NATO after the Cold War. After the examination of the literature and the main theoretical positions, I focused on the control management theory of Schroeder over the alliance formation and dissolution. He claimed that the states make alliances to control other states. I investigated this claim with the main theoretical perspectives about the alliances comparatively. I argued that NATO is a control management mechanism and its maintenance after the Cold War is strictly dependent on this characteristic.

Keywords
NATO, Alliance, Cold War, Neo Realism, Neo Institutionalism, Constructivism