Lectures of Opportunity: "Making Sense of European Defence in a Dangerous World: A German Navy Officer’s Perspective"

About this lecture series

Lectures of Opportunity (LOOs) offer Naval War College (NWC) students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to learn more about national and international socio-political subjects that may be of relevance to the NWC community.

Synopsis

The European Union’s so-called Common Security and Defense Policy and moreover its relationship to NATO never fails to baffle even European insiders. In this LOO, Captain (GN) Sascha H. Rackwitz will shed some light onto some of the fundamental questions and misunderstandings from the perspective of a German naval officer, establishing a link between defense policy and tactical questions in the north of Europe. The idea is to provide some food for thought and engage in discussion on the following key questions:

1. The Common Security and Defense Policy – All bark, no bite?
2. European Defence or Defence of Europe – Competitor or Complement to NATO?
3. Defending the Northern Flank – The actual problems of dealing with “A2AD” in the Baltic Sea.