Post-cold War Security in and for Europe

The end of the cold war opened a period of promising but complex and difficult processes. The resultant transformations have entirely changed the landscape of European security. Along with the dissolution of the Warsaw Treaty Organization, the bipolar system collapsed. Meanwhile, the Berlin Wall was demolished and Germany unified. The nations that once comprised Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union proclaimed their independence, and many new states appeared on the European scene. Russian troops are leaving Germany and have left a number of other Central and East European (CEE) states. The US military presence in Europe and the foreign deployments of other NATO states have also been significantly reduced.