Hybride Kriegsführung und die Hinwendung zur Resilienz: Zurück zum Kalten Krieg?

Abstract

The concept of “hybrid warfare” has become increasingly en vogue in international security debates and has also garnered attention from the perspective of international law. It is frequently understood to signify a combination of “traditional” forms of warfare with atypical elements like disinformation campaigns, sowing doubts about attribution and the spreading of “fake news”. Yet, doubts remain as to whether it is a coherent concept and whether it can offer new insights into current forms of warfare. This contribution critically analyses the notion of hybrid warfare and the prominent role in policy documents of international organisations like NATO or the EU. The contribution also assesses the possible ramifications of hybrid warfare for the doctrinal operation of international law. Most attempts to deal with this phenomenon so far have ended up either breaking down hybrid warfare into its component parts or making wide-ranging policy suggestions to develop a “robust and resilient international law”. This latter call is analysed critically in this contribution, especially in the light of parallel Cold War histories where Western states tried to defend the free flow of information vis-a-vis a Soviet conception of non-intervention.