Sharing the Burden

The emerging world order has degraded and has established the requirement for nations to join efforts into unified action in the conduct of peace enforcement operations. In responding to circumstances requiring a multinational response, a nation decides if and where it will expend national blood, and in every case, its decision to take part is a calculated political decision. The nature of such national decision influences the structure of the multinational force and its inherent effectiveness in dealing with increasingly complex scenarios. The purpose of this study is therefore to examine the effectiveness of multinational operations in the contemporary operational environment (COE). Nations band together in military interventions in alliances or coalitions, and interventions are either sponsored or sanctioned by the United Nations. NATO, as well as coalitions of the willing of combat ready forces, has taken a very active role in peace support missions in the last decade. Through a comparative case study, this thesis concludes that peace enforcement is beyond the United Nation's capacity. Furthermore, a coalition of Allies and like-minded partners, including compatible regional partners, possessing robust tools and minimal debilitating national caveats, is the most promising and effective military arrangement.