Challenges in International Security: An Introduction to the Art and Science of Deterrence

On October 4, 2021, Marina Henke, Professor of International Relations at the Hertie School and Director of the Centre for International Security, and Julian Wucherpfennig, Professor of International Affairs and Security also at the Hertie School, spoke about the art and science of deterrence.

In the realm of international security, deterrence is one of the most widely used political strategies, yet its’ application is complex and often poorly understood. Thus, this year’s iteration of the Centre for International Security’s speaker series “Challenges in International Security” will shed light on the various aspects of deterrence and how it operates in the different international security domains: conventional, nuclear, legal, economic and cyber.

As International Security scholars, Marina Henke and Julian Wucherpfennig offered an overview of the theoretical dimensions of deterrence covering the fundamentals. They defined deterrence as an effort to preserve the status quo by threatening or imposing negative consequences in response to a target’s attempts at altering the current relationship. They differentiate between deterrence by denial (ex ante) and deterrence by punishment (ex post). In the presentation, they explain the difference between homeland deterrence and extended deterrence and list three necessary requirements for successful deterrence – rationality of target, (appearance of) means of the defender and the credibility of the defender.  They elaborated on the manipulation of risk by revisiting the Berlin crisis during the Cold War.  Finally, they related the key points of deterrence to current events, such as cyberattacks and international terrorism.

This presentation launched the second iteration of the Centre for International Security's speaker series “Challenges in International Security”.

Missed the event? Listen to the recording here: