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Description

Grand strategy is, or should be, the “calculated relationship of means to large ends.” Interrelated strategic and legal dimensions provide a leitmotif to the modern history of relations among powerful states. States employ an array of means to achieve their large ends—military power, as well as diplomatic, informational, economic/financial, and legal tools and influence. They differ in effectiveness and precision. In the web of interactions that shape contemporary international relations, the legal dimension as a framework and guide to choices is more often overlooked than particular legal instruments that might be invoked in the belief, or more often the hope, that they will serve policy and strategic objectives.

Document Type

Policy Brief

Topic(s)

International Law, National Security, Defense Policy

Publication Date

4-2012

Publication

Strategic Forum

Publisher

National Defense University Press

City

Washington, DC

Keywords

Grand strategy and international law, relationship of legal norms to strategy, U.S. grand strategy formulation, international legal frameworks and national security, law of armed conflict and UN Charter principles, legal dimensions of war and peace

Grand Strategy and International Law

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