The Nordic Area as a `Zone of Peace'

Abstract

Is the Nordic area a `zone of peace'? This article divides the concept into five elements: (1) intrastate war, (2) interstate war, (3) military intervention by outside forces, (4) military intervention by forces within the region in areas outside and (5) the overall expectations of peace within the region. Each of the elements are examined empirically and the article concludes that the Nordic area is indeed such a zone. The emergence of a zone of peace in an area which historically has seen a great deal of domestic and international war is explained by a combination of outside factors, such as the strategic importance of the area, and internal factors, such as the legitimacy of the government and the homogeneity of the population. Three broad considerations emerge from the study. Firstly, the link between democracy and peace has reinforced the Nordic peace as all the countries concerned have grown into stable democracies. Secondly, higher levels of gender equality within the Nordic countries may have also had a beneficial effect in terms of preventing violent conflict. And lastly, peaceful conflict resolutions has been accepted as the sole legitimate means of solving conflicts within the Nordic area, and this has had a marked effect on the foreign policies of the countries in the region.