GLOBAL AND REGIONAL SECURITY. A RETURN TO MILITARY STRENGTH (?)

The aim of the paper is to analyse the importance of military power potential in the creation of modern international relations. Research data encompass the perspective of both states and international organisations and the analysis proper covers the issue of military strength as the main component defining the status and operational capability of states and international organisations in a crisis situation. Modern international relations are the resultant of multiple determinants. Over the past several dozen years it has been possible to observe various emphasis patterns as regards the majority of those. The phenomenon also affected, and that to a great extent, the perception of military strength. The strength in question still constitutes a basic factor determining the position of a state in political world order. However, there is no one, universally accepted and binding model of strength as a component of modern international relations. One can still come across arguments of supporters of both the so-called soft power and hard power approaches.