The End of the Post–Cold War Era and the Return of Hard Power
12 pages · PDF · 25 August 2025 · Licensed single-user copy, watermarked to the buyer
€299 excl. VAT — EU VAT calculated at checkout (VAT ID accepted for reverse charge); invoice issued after payment
One click to Stripe — guest checkout, no account. Your download appears on the confirmation page and arrives by e-mail right after payment (link valid 72 hours, up to 5 downloads).
About this report
After 1991 the post–Cold War international order was built on U.S. primacy, liberal institutions, and the expectation of a durable peace in Europe. U.S. strategy documents from 1992 onward (e.g. the leaked Defense Planning Guidance) explicitly foresaw an “unchallenged supremacy” for America and a liberal order topped by the United States.
American policymakers sought to “cultivate an open, democratic order in which [the U.S.] remained firmly atop the international hierarchy” . In practice this meant NATO remained central: the alliance was expanded eastward to lock in Europe’s security under U.S. leadership .
Key questions this report answers
- How did the post-1991 order built on U.S. primacy, liberal institutions and the expectation of durable peace in Europe take shape?
- How did U.S. strategy documents from 1992, including the leaked Defense Planning Guidance, articulate a vision of 'unchallenged supremacy' and a U.S.-topped liberal order?
- What role did NATO's centrality and eastward expansion play in locking in Europe's security under U.S. leadership?
- What does the return of hard power imply for the assumptions of the post-Cold War era and Europe's strategic outlook?
Who it's for
Strategy, corporate-development and investment teams that need an ecosystem-level view — budgets, industrial capacity and technology landscapes — before committing capital or capacity.
Related reports
Methodology, format & delivery
DFM reports are built from primary and official sources — TED procurement notices, CORDIS and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal, EIB operations, the NATO Innovation Fund portfolio, SIPRI data, official budget documents and company disclosures — read together with the underlying legal texts. Sources are cited in the document; it reflects them as of its publication date (25 August 2025). You receive a 12-page PDF, watermarked to you on every page, delivered on the confirmation page and by e-mail immediately after checkout (personal link valid 72 hours, up to 5 downloads). Guest checkout, single-user licence — Terms of Sale.
Related on DFM
More Strategic reports · All reports
Prefer unlimited access?
Prefer unlimited access? Every report like this is included in the DFM Analysis subscription. See plans →