Deterrence in the Post-Cold War Era The same types of deterrence strategies that were used to good effect in the Cold War may not be as effective against non-state actors as with nation states in the 21st century. This paper discusses the factors involved in developing timely and effective responses to non-state actors to determine whether the concepts of cumulative deterrence and/or tailored deterrence can also be effective against non-state actors today. A summary of the research and important findings concerning security and deterrence in the post-Cold War era are provided in the conclusion.

Many military and political strategists today may lament the "good old days of Communism" when the actors...

At that time, it was a straightforward matter to convince political leaders in Western Europe of the need for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to counter the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact threat. As a result, missiles were arrayed against missiles, divisions against divisions, and the Berlin Wall remained a tangible symbol of the vast ideological chasm that existed between East and West. As a result, actual military hot spots in the Cold War were rare and were kept isolated and the status quo was expensive but relatively predictable and everyone knew their jobs.
By sharp contrast, many of the forces arrayed against the United States today are comprised of various non-state actors that are far more difficult to identify than the country's enemies in the…