International Security Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of International Security distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

PiqCue — piqcue.com/international-security/cheatsheet

Quick Reference

Deterrence Theory

The strategy of discouraging an adversary from taking an unwanted action by threatening a credible and severe response. Deterrence relies on the adversary's rational calculation that the costs of aggression outweigh the benefits.

Balance of Power

A condition in which no single state or alliance dominates the international system because rival states form coalitions or build up military capability to counterbalance any emerging hegemon.

Collective Security

An arrangement in which all member states agree that an attack on one is an attack on all, pledging a unified response to aggression. It aims to replace competitive alliances with a shared commitment to peace.

Nuclear Proliferation

The spread of nuclear weapons, weapons-usable material, and weapons-applicable technology to states or non-state actors that do not currently possess them. Non-proliferation efforts seek to limit this spread through treaties, inspections, and diplomacy.

Security Dilemma

A situation in which actions taken by a state to increase its own security, such as building up military forces, cause other states to feel less secure and respond in kind, potentially leading to an arms race or conflict even though neither side intended aggression.

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

Terrorism is the use of politically motivated violence against civilians to generate fear and advance ideological goals. Counterterrorism encompasses the strategies, tactics, and institutions designed to prevent, disrupt, and respond to terrorist acts.

Cyber Security and Cyber Warfare

The protection of computer networks, data, and critical infrastructure from digital attacks, and the offensive use of cyber capabilities to disrupt, degrade, or destroy an adversary's information systems.

Humanitarian Intervention

The use of military force by external actors in a sovereign state to prevent or halt mass atrocities such as genocide, ethnic cleansing, or crimes against humanity, often justified under the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine.

Arms Control and Disarmament

Diplomatic efforts to regulate the development, production, stockpiling, and deployment of weapons through bilateral or multilateral agreements, with the goal of reducing the risk of war and limiting the destructiveness of conflict.

Human Security

A people-centered approach to security that focuses on protecting individuals from threats such as poverty, disease, environmental degradation, and political repression, rather than concentrating solely on the defense of state borders and sovereignty.

Key Terms at a Glance

Anarchy (International Relations):The absence of a central governing authority above sovereign states in the international system, a foundational assumption of realist theory.

Arms Race:A competitive buildup of military capability between two or more states, often driven by the security dilemma.

Asymmetric Warfare:Conflict between opponents of significantly different military strength, where the weaker side employs unconventional tactics.

Balance of Power:A distribution of capability among states that prevents any single state from achieving dominance.

Biological Weapons Convention (BWC):A 1975 multilateral treaty banning the development, production, and stockpiling of biological weapons.

Collective Security:A system where all participating states commit to respond jointly to aggression against any member.

Counterinsurgency (COIN):Comprehensive civil and military efforts to defeat an insurgency and address its root causes.

Cyber Warfare:State-sponsored operations using digital means to disrupt, damage, or destroy an adversary's information systems or infrastructure.

Democratic Peace Theory:The empirical observation that established democracies rarely go to war with one another.

Deterrence:Discouraging an adversary from aggression by threatening credible and unacceptable retaliation.

Ethnic Cleansing:The systematic forced removal or killing of an ethnic or religious group from a given territory.

Failed State:A state unable to perform core functions such as maintaining security, rule of law, or basic public services.

Geneva Conventions:A set of four treaties (1949) and additional protocols establishing international legal standards for humanitarian treatment during war.

Hegemony:The dominance of one state over others in the international system through superior military, economic, or cultural power.

Human Security:A security framework that centers on protecting individuals from threats including poverty, disease, and political violence.

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