Contact Person: Ulrich Kühn, M.A., M.P.S.

During the short period between 1989 and 1991 the most comprehensive and successful conventional arms control regime worldwide was elaborated in Europe, the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE). Today, this regime is - for the most part - not functioning anymore, out of date and close to collapse. What is more, the relations between the West and Russia in general deteriorated drastically during the last eight years of the Bush Administration. The dissertation project aims to analyse how the current crisis of European conventional arms control came about and which possibilities for ways out of the crisis exist.

The project is based on a Regime Theory approach and utilizes Robert Keohane’s studies about interdependency between regime, participating states and their interests. The empirical core of the project will consist of a range of interviews with former CFE negotiators. A special focus will be dedicated to Germany’s positioning considering conventional arms control in Europe.