| Abstract: | The 21st century has witnessed an intensification of globalization alongside profound transformations in the nature of war. Economic interdependence, technological convergence, and dense communication networks have created unprecedented opportunities for cooperation but simultaneously generated new forms of vulnerability and conflict. This paper examines the reciprocal relationship between war and globalization in the post–Cold War and post‑9/11 context, focusing on four interlinked dimensions: the changing character of warfare; the rise of non‑state and networked actors; the emergence of cyber and information warfare; and the normative tensions between identity radicalism and universal human rights. Drawing on major theoretical perspectives in International Relations—realism, liberalism, constructivism, and critical/Marxist approaches—this analysis interprets how global structures shape contemporary conflicts and how war, in turn, conditions the trajectories of globalization. The paper argues that globalization simultaneously constrains and enables violence: it reduces incentives for interstate war among highly interdependent economies while easing the proliferation of transnational terrorism, hybrid warfare, and “wars among the people.” Simultaneously, responses to security threats—such as the global “war on terror” and the globalization of American military power—have militarized aspects of globalization and deepened inequalities in whose security receives protection. The conclusion calls for rethinking security through a human‑centric and multilateral framework that can address globalized risks without reproducing cycles of militarized globalization and networked violence. |
