英文摘要 |
The European continent has been free of great wars since the end of Cold War. This article assesses security studies in international relations by focusing on middle ground states' strategic choices in relation to great powers. We argue that Small and Medium States (SMSs) idespread in Eastern Europe, Balkan Peninsula and South Caucasus have their strategic calculations in shaping their security choices. The article posits that the decision-making process of SMSs' security policies rests upon differentiated and cross-pollinated factors. Balancing, bandwagoning, neutrality, accommodation and transformation are features of SMSs' choices. The author employs SMSs' international participation as variables in explaining their security choices and uses a mix of elements of political/economic factors in analyzing those states reacting to neighboring powers. We find that geopolitics and regional integration are crucial in shaping Europe's security environment, while domestic and responsive factors co-construct SMSs' policy formation. In conclusion, we seek to understand the implications of our analysis of SMSs' security choices. |