Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) of the European Union (EU) is the most dynamic concept promoting further European integration. Implementing the Lisbon Treaty has implications on the CSDP and subsequently impacts on the EU relationship...
Napoleon's invasion of the Iberian Peninsula brought Spain, Portugal, and Britain into a close, if sometimes uneasy alliance. When an expeditionary force led by General Sir Arthur Wellesley, later the 1st Duke of Wellington, disembarked in Portugal...
Napoleon Bonaparte lost over 300,000 men in the Therian Peninsula combating the British Army and Navy, along with their Spanish and Portuguese allies, in the savage conventional and unconventional Peninsular War. This very important sub-theater of...
After ten years the ESDP has reached an important milestone in its development. It is one of the most dynamic policy areas in the framework of the European Union (EU) and is a substantial integration project. Behind this background the study...
Multinational operations under the direction of both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) have become the norm rather than the exception. In the light of an emerging partnership between both organizations, the...
The purpose of this paper was to study the practice of military art at the operational level of war. The story of Wellington's ultimate success against Napoleon's Marshals was selected as a case study as it seemed rich in the application of mental...
Office of the Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Intelligence
From the introduction: "Spain and Portugal are strategically important because of the geographical relation of the Iberian peninsula to Gibraltar, North Africa, and the western Mediterranean. Of primary significance are transportation facilities....
The current wide-ranging and complex relations in the international environment demand a comprehensive approach to challenges in world security. Regional organizations play a decisive role in the peaceful settlement of disputes and conflict...
Using a comprehensive approach, this study aims to recommend measures that will improve NATO's capabilities and make it a more efficient organization. For any military organizations, adjusting capabilities to governmental ambitions and strategic...
Economic, military, and political science all boast at least one basic theory. But concerning military assistance, the critical nexus between them, that theoretical structure that exists rests on normative assumptions and intuition. Within the...
This monograph investigates the possible use of initiative by the operational commander when conducting a defense. AirLand Battle doctrine is based on securing or retaining the initiative and exercising it aggressively to accomplish the mission,...
The debate on the development of NATO expeditionary capabilities started in the late Nineties, but only after the 9/11 attacks -- following a proposal of the then US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld -- was finalized. The NATO Rapid Response...
This thesis is built on research guided by the primary research question: Does the European Union (EU) possess effective military crisis management decision-making mechanisms to plan and execute peacekeeping missions without external assistance?...
In the last two decades, NATO's operations have exposed significant shortcomings in the organization's military capabilities. The Alliance has relied on the U.S. to provide either the bulk of the forces or the majority of the critical capabilities...
The purpose of this paper is to examine the operational impact of the INF treaty and what it means for the future of NATO. At this writing, there is considerable debate going on as to whether or not the US Congress should ratify the INF treaty. The...
The current NATO Special Operations Forces (SOF) capability is an ad hoc force which does not provide a synchronized, integrated Special Operations response capability to the alliance. There is no standing NATO SOF combat force or Command and...
The advent of democratic regimes in Spain and Portugal by the mid seventies has conveyed new dynamics in the relationship between the two countries which are now trying a full integration in western Europe. For a better understanding of the...
The thesis addresses the development of the current Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). This topic was chosen because the international community, in consultation with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, has established 2014...
This study examines the campaign to defend southwest France waged by Marshal Nicholas Soult against the Anglo-Allied Army of Arthur Wellesley from 1 July 1813 until 14 April 1814 to garner insights that are applicable to today's officer. In the...