|
|
Russian-Western Relations in the context of the Ukrainian crisis
Beran, Jiří ; Horák, Slavomír (advisor) ; Hornát, Jan (referee)
This thesis aims to find out the causes of the Ukrainian crisis that started at the end of 2013 with demonstrations in Ukrainian cities against the president Yanukovych's regime. This crisis later escalated into the seizure of the Crimean Peninsula by the Russian federation and led to the war in the eastern Ukraine. Moreover, the crisis is closely linked to a broader crisis between Russia and the West, represented mainly by NATO and the European union. This work also attempts to find the possible reasons for the crisis. Furthermore, this thesis searches for an answer to the question whether the Ukrainian crisis could be resolved by Ukraine's acceptance of its neutral status, and whether this would improve the relations between the West and Russia. Since they were in similar situation during the cold war, Austria and Finland are used as examples of possible solution for the crisis by declaring the neutral status.
|
|
|
Redefinition of Sweden's security policy at the turn of millennium
Malina, Václav ; Weiss, Tomáš (advisor) ; Váška, Jan (referee)
This thesis verifies a statement that the specific Swedish security policy of military non- alignment, reformulated from a policy of neutrality after the end of the Cold War, was compatible with Sweden's involvement in the European integration structures between 1990 and 2009. Compatibility is assessed based on a definition of military non-alignment, consisting of a general condition of non-participation in military alliances, or in other words the non- existence of mutual security guarantees, as well as two specific Swedish conditions, independent foreign policy and resistance to common defence. Regarding independent foreign policy, EU's CFSP retained unanimous decisions about basic outline and did not violate Sweden's independence in this field. Concerning resistance to common defence, CSDP did not lead to mutual security guarantees or a unified army. Even further away from this is NATO's Partnership for Peace programme. Solidarity Declaration and Lisbon Treaty constituted a threat to Sweden's military non-alignment, yet the country insisted it decided about the military assistance to other countries on its own. Nordic and Nordic-Baltic defence cooperation did not endanger Sweden's specific policy. Instead, it proved that the functional approach to security policy, applied by Nordic countries, is...
|
|
|
The Evolution of Historical Memory of World War Two in Switzerland
Müller, Joseph ; Matějka, Ondřej (advisor) ; Bauer, Paul (referee)
The subject of the diploma thesis is an analysis of how the official Swiss institutions worked with the reference of World War II, thus contributing to the formation of collective memory of the Second World War in Switzerland. World War II and, above all, Switzerland's role in it, was covered in myths by official institutions in order to maintain a positive attitude towards the actions of Switzerland during the Second World War until the second half of the 1990s. For this purpose, three major myths were made during the war and post-war years in Switzerland around which the official remembrance of World War II was build - the myth of Réduit Alpin, the myth of neutrality and the myth of Swiss solidarity. Main institutions that influenced collective memory in Switzerland during World War II and subsequently in the post-war years were the army headed by General Henri Guisan and the Swiss government. This diploma thesis analyzes the evolution of the perception of the legacy of World War II in Switzerland in two periods. The first one is the period of the Second World War and immediately afterwards. The second one is the period from the second half of the 1990s, when the International Commission of Experts was established which was an important milestone in the debate on the Swiss role in the Second...
|
|
|
Security Policy of Neutral States After 9/11: Comparison of Selected European Countries
Vlček, Tomáš ; Karásek, Tomáš (advisor) ; Bahenský, Vojtěch (referee)
This bachelor's thesis compares Switzerland, Austria and Sweden as European neutral states and their activity in security policy. There are two dimensions for the comparison: peacekeeping dimension and counter-terrorism dimension. The time interval begins with the terrorist 9/11 attacks and continues to the present. In peacekeeping dimension the main focus is on contribution of units to peacekeeping missions. In counter-terrorism dimension the main focus is on strategy of global war on terror and strategy of combating terrorism. The result of this thesis is either confirmation or refutation of hypothesis about relationship between attitude to neutrality and activity in security policy. The assumption of this comparative study is that state with codified neutrality which is also mentioned in its foreign-security strategy is less active than state with non-codified neutrality not mentioned in its foreign-security strategy.
|
|
|
The competence of arbitrators for deciding property disputes (from the perspective of their independence and impartiality)
Ryšavý, Lukáš ; Pohl, Tomáš (referee)
The main focus of this doctoral thesis is arbitration; the phenomenon of not only an out- of-court dispute resolution but also international commercial relations. Arbitration is a modern legal institute that is regarded as an equivalent alternative to court proceedings. Independence and impartiality of the arbitrator are very important and at the same time very problematic aspects of arbitration. These two principals accompany the arbitration since the beginning of the modern era of this institution and they are still perceived as essential criteria of the arbitration. Independent and impartial decision-makers are an integral part of the right to a fair trial enshrined in Art. 36 subsection 1 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms and Art. 6 subsection 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Although such legislation refers to the court in terms of a state court, in the course of this thesis was demonstrated that these attributes are also applicable to arbitrators, even though they must be interpreted in arbitration proceedings with respect to the characteristics of arbitration. Due to the fact that resolving disputes in this way is the most common approach in international trade, the main focus of this thesis is to depict the issues of independence and impartiality in relation of...
|
|
| |
|
|
Finnish-Russian Relations after the End of Cold War
Janegová, Zuzana ; Dubský, Zbyněk (advisor) ; Veselý, Zdeněk (referee)
Finnish-Russian relations after the end of Cold war are considered to be a unique form of cooperation between countries of different ideological backgrounds. This thesis focuses on the analysis of mutual historical relations of Finland and Russia, which overlap to the time after the end of the Cold war; these are deep rooted in Finland's primary endeavor to keep its status of neutrality. The main aim of this thesis is the evaluation of Finnish postneutrality as an effective tool of foreign policy against Russia with respect to the historical reflection of both countries with most regard to the social and cultural differences in the society. The base theory for determinating mutual sociocultural distinction is social constructivism from which the national identities are defined. These are essential for the enemy image provision and above all for the evaluation of the Finnish foreign policy and Finnish political behavior towards Russia. The changes and transformation of the concept of postneutrality follows in regard to the integration process in Europe with the emphasis on the security keeping possibilities related to the potential accession to NATO.
|
|
|
Developments and Changes in Swedish Security Policy in the Context of Globalization
Rolenc, Jan Martin ; Eichler, Jan (advisor) ; Zemanová, Štěpánka (referee) ; Krč, Miroslav (referee) ; Kraftová, Ivana (referee)
The aim of the thesis is to examine the aspects and benefits of neutrality for both Sweden and the international community, to look for the causes of its current changing and problematic situation and to identify the opportunities it still offers. The text therefore answers these research questions: What was the contribution of neutrality to Sweden's security policy in the 20th century? What was the contribution of Swedish neutrality to the international community in the 20th century? What has changed and how that, since the end of the Cold War, Swedish neutrality has been transformed? What opportunities does Swedish security policy offer today? In accordance with the aims and questions, the topic is elaborated as an historical interpretive (and explanatory) and literature-assessing dissertation. Its first part (chapter 1) is a conceptual analysis and a state of the art review of the wider context of the topic. The second part (chapters 2 and 3) is a qualitative single case study. As to theory, the thesis draws from liberalism, constructivism and the Copenhagen School of Security Studies. The changes in (international) security and Swedish security policy and neutrality are interpreted in the context of globalisation processes. The text identifies two notions of security - military and open/liberal, which it links to two dimensions of political neutrality - realistic and idealistic and, by applying them, answers the questions asked. It concludes that the Swedish security policy or neutrality has been and is primarily about finding effective and legitimate alternatives and ways to implement them in a transforming, complex and uncertain world.
|
|
|
Narrative Development of Swedish Neutrality during Second World War
Pajerová, Anna ; Svobodný, Petr (advisor) ; Smetana, Vít (referee)
The Bachelor thesis is primary focused on the narrative development of Swedish neutral policy during Second World War. This thesis is a discourse analysis which compare different interpretations of Swedish national history of neutrality in the three main periods in the second half of the 20th century - during the Second World War, during the Cold War and during the post-Communist period. Each of this epoch was characterised by different discourses and mentality of the society which have been influenced by the timing, but also by the ideological view and policy of the Kingdom of Sweden as well as the whole world. The aim of this research is to answer not just the way the narrative of Swedish neutrality was developed during the second half of the 20th century, but also to find out which materials and sources the narrative was achieved - the academic papers, books, cinematography, etc. This research of narrative development of Swedish neutral policy was concentrained on the influences and factors which could have affected each discourses in the each period less or more. The discussion that was not miss out by this research is also the role of determination by the interior or exterior policy, by economical or sociological factors, etc.
|
|
|
Transformation of the Swedish foreign policy at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s
Vlček, Václav ; Brunclík, Miloš (advisor) ; Riegl, Martin (referee)
The bachelor thesis deals with the transformation of the Swedish foreign and security policy at the turn of 1980s and 1990s. The main object is to examine the impact of geopolitical changes upon the transformation and reveal new (especially internal) influences which are usually overlooked at the expense of the end of the Cold War. Furthermore, the thesis will concentrate on the Swedish neutrality and its development. The thesis is a case study. The theoretical concept is based on the foreign policy analysis. Several levels of analysis are distinguished - the external (systemic) and the internal (the public, social groups, the government, particular individuals). The levels are examined individually and different theoretical approaches are applied to them. Finally, new findings are merged. The approach to the neutrality is derived from international law and international relations. The thesis concludes that the main transformation of the foreign and security policy led to the Swedish accession to the EU and to the reassessment of the policy of the non- engagement. It was primarily caused by the end of the Cold War but there were also other important influences, for example the Swedish economic crisis, the new non-socialist government and the new prime minister Carl Bildt. On the other hand, the...
|
guest ::
