From Guilt to Responsibility and Beyond tackles the ever-controversial topic of German security and defence policy from the perspective of strategic culture. In particular, it describes the way in which German strategic culture - the ways of thinking and acting in terms of peace and war - has gradually changed after the end of the Cold War. °°The book delivers a comprehensive picture of the evolution of German strategic culture from the end of the Second World War to present times with a focus on Post-Cold War events. It also discusses hitherto unexplored ways and methods of how to study continuity and change in strategic culture e.g. through counterfactual thought experiments. The book offers a novel scientific-philosophical take on strategic culture based on Critical Realism and concludes that a combination of present and past experiences of warfare is one of the key generative mechanisms in facilitating strategic cultural change.

Antti Seppo, born 1978, studied political science and holds a PhD. in International Relations from the University of Helsinki. Between 2018 and 2020, he was a visiting scholar at the Center of Military History and Social Sciences, Potsdam. His research focuses on German and European security and defence policy, and strategic culture.

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