‘9/11’ marks a watershed event in the current international order. It also marks a psychological and perceptive turning point. It is the obvious landmark of events, which were characterized by numerous signals already in the mid-1990s. None of those events happened overnight or unexpectedly. It is common knowledge that neither social science theories nor societal practice provided theories or methods, which enabled them to offer early warning and early response capabilities with regard to fundamental systemic changes. The underlying approach to the current international order is based on the analysis of ‘big patterns in current events’, the meta-order, its actors, their rules of behavior and engagement, different power-layers and the role of change. Finally, it supports arguments about the usefulness of early warning and early response. Such approach is based on intertwining knowledge from the realms of international relations, current history, historical sociology, and political sciences.

The Author: Andrea K. Riemer holds a Magister and a Doctorate degree from the Economic University of Vienna and a Ph.D. degree from Zrínyi Miklós Defense University in Budapest (Hungary). Currently she is researcher (Strategy and Geopolitics, Strategic Early Warning and Systemic Analysis) at the Institute for Strategy and Security Policy at the Austrian Defense Academy, Austrian Ministry of Defense. Additionally, she is lecturer at the Austrian Diplomatic Academy, Vienna, University Lecturer with the University of Economics, Vienna and Lecturer at the General Staff and Command Course. Since 1994 she participated in more than 20 research projects, published 14 books and more than 100 articles, particularly on systemic change and the international order after 1989/90; theories and methods in International Relations; strategic and geopolitical considerations and theoretical aspects at the beginning of the 21st century; the U.S. perception of the international order; U.S. strategy and numerous regional studies (such as Turkey, Balkans, Middle East; triangle China-Russia-India).