The Bush Defense Policy of Assurance and Dissuasion: Lessons from Philip IV of Spain

The George W. Bush defense strategy asserts that the United States is more secure in a world were it is the lone superpower. To perpetuate American primacy, this strategy calls for "assuring" allies and friends, and "dissuading" adversaries. Spain under King Philip IV (1621-1665) and his Count-Duke of Olivares, Gaspar de Guzman (1622-1643) pursued a similar national security strategy. For Spain, the fiscal consequence of this strategy was dire: the erosion of its European primacy and the dissolution of its empire. For the United States, disagreement abounds over the proper balance between strategy and finance.