Post-Cold War Defense Reforms: Lessons Learned in Europe and the United States

With landslide political changes in Europe in the early 1990s, politicians and military planners started to contemplate their possible effects on military postures. Most countries, however, did not enforce plans for post-Cold War reforms because they lacked political will and money, their conservative militaries resisted, and they felt no real pressure from any clear and present threat. Fortunately, debates have begun about the future of military forces, the "revolution in military affairs," and the plans for NATO and European security and defense cooperation. This publication serves as a timely contribution to the debate on determining which lessons have,and have not, been learned—while suggesting possible courses for the way ahead.