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Israel's security as German national interest: German historical commitment to Israel
Suk, Adam ; Kalhousová, Irena (advisor) ; Handl, Vladimír (referee)
This thesis analyses the connection between Israel's security and Germany's reason of state and examines the historically derived moral commitment of Germany to Israel. Despite the dark historical background, Germany and Israel have managed to develop close bilateral ties and intensive partnership. Nonetheless, the relationship remains very complex and the role of the past is still very significant. Germany still feels a strong sense of responsibility for Israel's security, and its moral commitment to Israel remains to be one of the most important factors determining Germany's policies towards the Middle East. The thesis provides answers to the following research questions: What is the role of Israel in Germany's reason of state? And What does the connection of Israel's security and Germany's reason of state mean in concrete terms, with a special focus on Germany's position towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? The theoretical and conceptual framework of the thesis is built on the constructivist approach to international relations. Working with the constructivist definition of national interest, it examines the connection between Israel's security and Germany's reason of state. The thesis also employs the role concept of civilian power to offer a better understanding of German foreign policy,...
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French Military Interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa 2003 - 2012
Chlebounová, Tereza ; Tomalová, Eliška (advisor) ; Weiss, Tomáš (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to answer how and why France intervenes in Sub-Saharan Africa in the new millennium. This region represented the pivotal part of French colonial empire and France maintained close mutual relationship even after decolonization, partly due to the numerous military interventions. Security and defence policy towards Sub-Saharan Africa underwent gradual changes since the 1990s', France started to participate in multilateral peace operations and outside its traditional sphere of influence. Since 2003, when the European Union launched the first operation on the African continent, the vast majority of French interventions took place within the Common Security and Defence Policy of the EU. There were twelve new operations in the examined period 2003-2012, from which four military missions were selected for the purpose of this research: Operation Artemis in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2003, EUFOR DR Congo ibidem in 2006, EUFOR Chad/CAR in Chad and Central African Republic from 2008 to 2009 and naval operation EU NAVFOR Atalanta launched by the coast of Somalia in 2008. The thesis compares these cases in order to analyse motives which lead France to intervene in Sub-Saharan Africa and to prefere multilateral type of operation. The motives are assessed in the context of the...
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Icelandic fisheries as the national interest and its influence on the formation of the foreign policy
Tůmová, Kateřina ; Hořejšová, Tereza (advisor) ; Weiss, Tomáš (referee)
Presented thesis analyzes the Icelandic fisheries as a national interest and its role in foreign policy. Importance of fisheries confirms the fact that in the first half of the twentieth century marine products accounted for over 90% of Iceland's exports and the Icelandic economy was fully dependent on one sector. Gradual diversification of the economy in the seventies, however, caused a decline in exports of fish products to one-third of total exports. The thesis assumes that the Icelandic fisheries have a significant impact on foreign policy, even though its economic importance is declining. The research is carried out on three historical events, such as the cod wars in the fifties and the seventies, mackerel dispute in 2010 and the withdrawal of Iceland's application to the EU in 2015. It would be expected that due to the economic ties and Icelandic membership in international organizations (NATO, EFTA) the Icelandic government would primarily seek peaceful solutions in international conflicts. However, it could be observed in the Icelandic case that due to the pressure of the domestic politics the government does not respond as it would be expected. According to the neoclassical realism the thesis should verify a hypothesis that in a case of security threat, the Icelandic government will give...
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The Strategy of Promoting Czech Citizens to the Position of Heads of EU Delegations
Urban, Patrik ; Hornát, Jan (advisor) ; Kasáková, Zuzana (referee)
This diploma thesis deals with strategies of promoting Czechs as ambassadors of the EU (HoD) since the launch of the European External Action Service to the present. The main research goal of this thesis is to find out whether the Czech Republic promotes its candidates to the HoD positions in the countries of its priority interests. So far, a Czech citizen has become an HoD in six cases. These cases are confronted with a categorization of priority countries of the Czech Republic which has been elaborated by the author. Then, the Czech activities in promoting citizens are analysed based on interviews with relevant employees of the Czech state organs. These actions are consequently put into categorization of lobbying methods of the smaller states in the EU. Based on the categorization of the Czech territorial priorities, it can be claimed that the Czechs have not been sent as HoDs to the countries of the Czech interests so far. Even their other applications have not been meant to place them to the countries of the Czech interests. On the other hand, there is a bulk of activities embraced by the Czech Republic to reverse this trend. First, the Czech administration exacerbates networking and informal meetings among the Czechs based in Brussels. Second, the Czech state officials have developed formal...
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Czech Interests in Georgia: Analysis of methods of their promotion
Audyová, Petra ; Šlosarčík, Ivo (advisor) ; Weiss, Tomáš (referee)
The diploma thesis analyzes the way of promoting the national interest of the Czech Republic in Georgia and describes possible changes as a result of the Czech EU Presidency. The national interest is examined based on the assumption that the state foreign policy is the expression of the national interest. Therefore, the primary sources for this analysis are official foreign policy documents of the Czech Republic. The aim is to confirm or disprove the hypothesis that Czech foreign-policy towards Georgia in the period from 2007 to 2011 was driven by the aim to maximize own profit through EU structures. Given the size of the Czech Republic and its geopolitical importace, the analysis is based on the theory of neo-liberal institutionalism, and in accordance with this theory the national interest operationalized into four criteria, namely: 1) Compliance of EU and Czech interests, 2) Profiting from the EU presidency to promote the Czech interests, 3) Long-term consistency of interests, and 4) Economic interests as the main priority. The set of criteria helped to identify whether the Czech Republic behaved in accordance with the theory of neo-liberal institutionalism, and whether the Czech interests were promoted either through multilateral or bilateral relations. The analysis shows that in the studied...
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National interest? Analysis of the securitization strategy of the Czech security policy in counterterrorism
Hvězda, Martin ; Kučera, Tomáš (advisor) ; Bahenský, Vojtěch (referee)
The analysis of security policy, in its variations, regularly deals with the question of what each actor wants to promote in domestic or international politics, in other words, what is his interest. The term "national interest" is not an abstract category and a rhetorical turn legitimizing government action in front of the public audience or in dispute with political opposition. One of the aims of the presented thesis is to present the concept of national interest as a useful tool enabling closer research of domestic policy within the security context. Our main thematic focus, in which we examine the constitution of national interest, is the Czech counterterrorism policy in the context of the reaction of the Czech government and security forces to the terrorist attacks in Paris in autumn 2015 and in Brussels in March of the following year. An extraordinary measure after the attacks in Brussels in the form of the deployment of the Czech Army performing police tasks in mixed patrols in three Czech cities is for us a key manifestation of counterterrorism policy. This constitution of the security policy, we are further investigating. The main motivation is to explain the reasons why the mentioned security measure took place, which has no analogs in the history of the Czech Republic. We conclude that...
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The Strategy of Promoting Czech Citizens to the Position of Heads of EU Delegations
Urban, Patrik ; Hornát, Jan (advisor) ; Kasáková, Zuzana (referee)
This diploma thesis deals with strategies of promoting Czechs as ambassadors of the EU (HoD) since the launch of the European External Action Service to the present. The main research goal of this thesis is to find out whether the Czech Republic promotes its candidates to the HoD positions in the countries of its priority interests. So far, a Czech citizen has become an HoD in six cases. These cases are confronted with a categorization of priority countries of the Czech Republic which has been elaborated by the author. Then, the Czech activities in promoting citizens are analysed based on interviews with relevant employees of the Czech state organs. These actions are consequently put into categorization of lobbying methods of the smaller states in the EU. Based on the categorization of the Czech territorial priorities, it can be claimed that the Czechs have not been sent as HoDs to the countries of the Czech interests so far. Even their other applications have not been meant to place them to the countries of the Czech interests. On the other hand, there is a bulk of activities embraced by the Czech Republic to reverse this trend. First, the Czech administration exacerbates networking and informal meetings among the Czechs based in Brussels. Second, the Czech state officials have developed formal...
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United States foreign policy towards Argentina and Chile during the Kissinger's era (1969-1977)
Zboženská, Lucie ; Calda, Miloš (advisor) ; Raška, Francis (referee)
United States in the 1970's are often seen mainly in connection with the Vietnam War, the normalization of the USSR relationship and the establishment of diplomatic relations with China. At the time, American foreign policy was primarily concerned about the possible spread of the influence of the USSR and the possible emergence of the "second Cuba". H. Kissinger, R. Nixon, and G.Ford were well aware of the weakening position of US power abroad and the deteriorating domestic economic and political situation. It was part of the constantly prolonging war in Vietnam, the home scene was shaken by Watergate, which led to the resignation of R.Nixon in 1974. The US could not afford to start another military conflict. Their policy therefore took the form of indirect, hidden interventions (with the help of the CIA) and economic support of their allies. They also supplied weapons and provided training to soldiers of those countries whom they considered to be allies. Support for the Latin-American right-wing regimes was the result of the pragmatic approach of the American politicians I mentioned previously. It was a way to prevent the military intervention in the region, which was increasingly profiled by the anti-American way of thinking. It was based on the belief that the US security interests would be best...
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Tresčí války: Island jako (ne)předpokládaný vítěz
Karkoš, Daniel ; Kasáková, Zuzana (advisor) ; Weiss, Tomáš (referee)
This bachelor thesis deals with the Cod wars, a series of disputes between the United Kingdom and Iceland. The disputes were triggered by Iceland's unilateral extention of its territorial waters. It was caused by Iceland's fear of foreign fishermen's negative impact on local economy and culture. The disputes are unique, for the warring parties were partners within NATO. The disputes are nevertheless mostly interesting for the fact that their end was rather unexpected. Every time victory was on Iceland's side. This thesis investigates, what the reasons for such an outcome were. The investigation is done by an analysis of Icelandic national interests, devided into three categories with help of relevant theories of international relations. The outcome of this analysis is an identification of Icelandic advantages.
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Migration crisis in years 2015 a 2016: National interest as the basic pillar of attitude towards migration in Hungary and Slovak Republic
Korcsogová, Lucia ; Novotná, Markéta (advisor) ; Werner, Jan (referee)
The bachelor thesis deals with the asylum policy in the European Union, respectively Hungary and the Slovak Republic during the refugee crisis in years 2015 and 2016. The first chapter as theoretical basis uses the definition of national interest of Petr Kratochvíl. It follows with definitions of the most commonly used terms in asylum policy and introduces the changes in asylum policy and migratory trends of Hungary and the Slovak Republic after the accession to the European Union and the Schengen area. On selected events the attitude towards the refugee crisis of the Hungarian and Slovak government is analyzed, and whether their intentions can be considered as national interest according to presented criteria. These selected events are the refusal to accept refugees under mandatory quotas, the referendum against the reception of asylum seekers and the states´ response to criticism of international organizations.
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