The Bush Defense Policy of Assurance and Dissuasion: Lessons from Philip IV of Spain

Abstract

The George W. Bush defense strategy asserts that the United States is more secure in a world were it is the lone superpower. To perpetuate American primacy, this strategy calls for “assuring” allies and friends, and “dissuading” adversaries. Spain under King Philip IV (1621–1665) and his Count-Duke of Olivares, Gaspar de Guzman (1622–1643) pursued a similar national security strategy. For Spain, the fiscal consequence of this strategy was dire: the erosion of its European primacy and the dissolution of its empire. For the United States, disagreement abounds over the proper balance between strategy and finance.