International relationsLesson 4 of 4 in the course International security

Collective Security: Theory, Institutions, and Collective Defense

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Collective security is the idea that states can protect peace by treating aggression against one member as a concern for all. This lesson introduces the principle and traces its early historical development.

Collective security is an arrangement in which states agree to cooperate against aggression that threatens the wider group. Rather than leaving a victim state to defend itself alone, members recognize that an attack on one may require a collective response.

All flashcards

What is collective security?
A cooperative arrangement in which states regard aggression against one member as a concern for all and may respond together.
What is the deterrent logic of collective security?
A state may avoid aggression if it expects the combined opposition of the wider group rather than facing only its intended victim.
What did Kant propose in *Perpetual Peace*?
Kant envisioned a peaceful community of free states that would cooperate and respect people, not a centralized world government.
What was the Concert of Europe?
A post-Napoleonic effort by European powers to maintain the status quo and reduce the risk of war through cooperation.
Why was the Inter-Parliamentary Union historically significant?
Founded in 1889, it promoted peaceful settlement and arbitration and anticipated some institutional features of the League of Nations.

Quiz questions

  1. What is the defining purpose of collective defense?Answer: Members assist one another when a member is attacked from outside the organization.
  2. Which condition is one of Organski’s assumptions underlying collective security?Answer: Members’ combined power is sufficient to overcome the aggressor.
  3. What restricted the League of Nations’ response to Japan’s 1931 occupation of part of China?Answer: Japan vetoed a proposed resolution, limiting the League’s ability to respond.
  4. How can a permanent member of the UN Security Council constrain collective action?Answer: It can use its veto to block the Council from authorizing action.
  5. What risk can arise from collective defense commitments?Answer: A member may be drawn into a costly conflict that does not directly benefit it.

Based on the Wikipedia article Collective security, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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