Book review : Military strategy of small states : responding to external shocks of the 21st century

Abstract

In recent years, scholars have dedicated immense effort to unveiling the military strategies and defence posture of various countries, according to their categorising idiosyncrasies: small states, middle powers, and great powers. Edström and Westberg are at the fore in this regard, having already published three books on this subject, each one focusing on a specific ‘category’ of state. The idea behind the book might seem simple at first. The liberal order has been challenged on several occasions, creating disquieting uncertainties. This has bred a changing security environment, which is pressuring states to review their military strategies and defence postures towards unexpected events. Within this scenario, the authors set out to assess how four ‘small states’ (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) have adjusted their military and defence strategies to respond to external strategic shocks. Based on Colin Gray’s work on defence planning, the authors define strategic shocks as unexpected events with deep consequences, demanding immediate countermeasures by the political authorities of a given country. Therefore, the main events analysed in the book involve: the 9/11 terrorist attacks (2001), the Russo-Georgian war (2008), the first Russian war against Ukraine (2013/14), and the rise of Islamic State (ISIS). The authors argue that these events have exerted large influence and change around their common external environment. [excerpt]