New Anthology: Alliance Policy in a Global Perspective

Many small states face the threat of being left out of influence or being irrelevant in international relations. In the anthology ”Global Allies: Comparing US Alliances in the 21st Century”, edited by Michael Wesley and published by Australian National University Press, Kristian Søby Kristensen and  Kristian Knus Larsen have published a chapter on Denmark’s use of military activism as a cornerstone in its alliance politics towards the US and NATO in order to maintain relevance and gain influence.

The chapter bearing the title ”Denmark’s Fight Against Irrelevance, or the Alliance Politics of ‘Punching Above Your Weight’” shows how Danish alliance politics have developed through history and stresses the importance of the militarized foreign policy – the military activism – for the relationship with the US. Hereafter the chapter analyses the rationales behind Danish alliance politics and ends up highlighting how the central position of military activism as a cornerstone in Danish alliance politics could be challenged in the years to come.

You can read the chapter or whole anthology here.