The Munich analogy has been one of the most influential paradigms, which framed the United States strategic thinking in terms of use of force since 1945. The 1930s negative experience of appeasement traditionally served as a vehicle of rationalizing open and covert interventions, which allegedly aimed to stop the repetition of World War II scenario. The application of the historical reasoning in the US-Latin American relations since the 1950s contributed to the creation of the Munich syndrome in US foreign policy. This perception of threats led the American leaders to believe that the political changes in Latin America represented a serious challenge to the national security of the US. This study examines the role of Munich analogy and its relevance in justifying the policies of regime change in four Latin American countries namely Chile the Dominican Republic Grenada and Nicaragua. Due to the historical analogy contribution the indigenous political conflicts within these states were incorporated into dynamic Latin American Cold War. Based on the new available official documents and declassified files this paper offers a new perspective on the significant period of the 20th century international relations, whose consequences can be traced even in the contemporary US politics.

The thesis examines a potential of markets in Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil for trade with acoustic pianos PETROF. The first chapter contains an overview of piano manufacturers and terms associated with that field. Characteristic of protectionism and its effects on trade are mentioned in the first chapter as well, since some countries apply trade barriers frequently. An economic analysis of these states together with a market analysis follows. The market potential investigation is based on field research in the countries of South America.

Latin America cannot be conceived without acknowledging the social movements, which are often the engines of political and social changes on the continent. Until recently, Chile appeared to be the country where the social order was perceived as the most accomplished in relation to its politically unstable neighbouring countries, as well as in relation to its proper history. The 2011 student movement, which is the most significant social movement within the last twenty years of the Chilean history, can be completely understood only from a broader perspective of the 20th century. In order to understand the recent changes, the thesis deals with the phenomenon of the Chilean student movement studying its origins, historical trajectory and impact. The aim of the thesis is to explore the continuities and changes of the student movement and question why the 2011 protests are treated as a separate collective action in relation to the cycles of contention experienced in the 20th century.

The intention of this research is to analyse the process and methodology of the Iranian negotiating style. The research is mainly premised on Putnam’s two-level game metaphor (1988) and the “ultimate decision making unit” of Hermann et al. (1987), the purpose being to identify key leadership units, individuals, and formal and informal networks in Iran. The study further takes cognisance of key elements of the Iranian national character, which naturally impacts directly on what Iran considers to be a suitable negotiating style. It provides an overview of how the 1979 revolution changed Iranian diplomacy and how it forced international political theorists to take note of the cultural-religious dimension, ignored until then as elements of international politics and theory. Two case studies, deal respectively with the US hostage crisis (1979-1981), and the Iran-E3/EU nuclear negotiations, between 2003 and 2006. The analysis shows how Iran assumed the character of a revolutionary country and how its new religiously driven diplomacy is evolving. The study finally identifies and illustrates the active deployment of Shî’a negotiation doctrine as the basis of Iranian diplomacy and the use of techniques such as taqiyyah, tanfih and khod’eh. A model for negotiations with Iran is developed using key elements of the research. AFRIKAANS : Die studie fokus op Iranese onderhandelingstyl en - metodiek. Twee teorieë, naamlik Putnam (1988) se “twee-ledige interaktiewe onderhandelingsproses” en Hermann et al. (1987) se leierskapsmodel, is gebruik om Iran se gefragmenteerde leierselite asook die staat se formele en informele netwerke wat ‘n sleutelrol vervul in onderhandeling te identifiseer. Bykomend hiertoe is ‘n analise gemaak van faktore soos kultuur en godsdiens wat onderliggend is aan Iran se “nasionale karakter” en dus ’n direkte invloed uitoefen op Iranese onderhandelingstyl. Die studie wys ook hoe die 1979 rewolusie ‘n verandering gebring het deur godsdiens en kultuur tot gelykwaardige dimensies van die internationale politiek te verhoog nadat dit voorheen heeltemal geïgnoreer is. Dit bly egter vreemd vir die Weste. Die studie slaag daarin om deur middel van twee navorsingsondersoeke rakende Iran se oorname van die VSA ambassade in Tehran tussen 1979 en 1981) en die Iran-E3/EU kernonderhandelings tussen 2003 en 2006 die fokus te plaas op die identifisering en ontwikkeling van ‘n Iranese onderhandelingstyl. Tegnieke soos taqiyyah, tanfih en khod’eh wat die basis van Iran se diplomatieke onderhandellingstyl vorm, word vervolgens bespreek terwyl ‘n model vir onderhandelinge met Iran ook ontwikkel is uit die gegewens wat verkry is uit die navorsing. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Political Sciences / unrestricted

Diploma thesis "Perspectives of the Cuban Transition to Democracy" tries to analyze the current situation in Cuba and answer a question if the transition to democracy is possible and if so, in which period of time. It also tries to confirm or disprove two hypotheses set ahead: 'the transition to democracy is possible but only in a long period of time' and 'there will not be any changes during Fidel Castro's life'. This paper also tries to depict some theoretical models of the transition to democracy, brief history of Cuba which is indispensable for understanding of the current situation in Cuba and the perspectives of the future transition as well. The thesis also comprehensively deals with characterization of the current Cuban regime and its main representatives, analysis of the civil society and the inner opposition in Cuba and also with the international situation and its main actors which are able to to influence the current situation in Cuba and its future transition as well. There are also depicted some scenarios and factors of the future transition and briefly described some essential subsequent reforms though the application of some theoretical approaches on the analysis of the particular situation in Cuba.

Diploma thesis characterizes developments and fundamental principles of U. S. Immigration Policy. The era since 1965, when the legislation was liberalized, to current times is specially emphasized. Since the adoption of this law the structure of new immigrants to the USA had changed from mainly European newcomers to immigrants originating from Asia and Latin America. The thesis also analyses the distinction of Mexican immigration to the USA and outlines possible immigration reform proposals.

The United States Whistleblower Program’s inadequate protections have placed the privacy and confidentiality rights of United States taxpayers in a vulnerable state. By using the United States Whistleblower Program as an example, this paper seeks to illustrate the risk of eroding the confidentiality and privacy rights of the taxpayer, which is a risk that other national and international governments should likewise attempt to mitigate in their own whistleblower protection programs.

Rating agencies provide service by offering information about different kinds of securities and/or investment opportunities. This paper addresses questions often asked during the 2008 U.S. financial crisis: Why did no one see this coming? Why were all the explanations given afterward, not given before as precautions? Or if they were given before, why did nobody listen? Using Giddens’ idea of disembedded systems [Giddens A (1991a) The Consequences of Modernity (Polity Press, Cambridge, UK)], the paper describes and frames the phenomenon of U.S. financial crisis and the role of rating agencies in particular as a disembedded service system. Hereby it offers an explanation of the crises in contrast to the common incentive-oriented or moralizing perspectives. The paper shows that the U.S. financial crisis emerged from a disembedded service system, a simulacrum of ratings, which after a while was no more connected to the reality of securities. Information-providing service systems are in danger to become simulacra, and with it they can disembed. The paper offers a new insightful perspective on how to analyze and understand information-providing service systems and hence offers a perspective to avoid crises based on disembedded systems. This is the first paper to our knowledge to analyze information-providing service systems based on Giddens’ theory of abstract disembedded systems. It provides a new understanding of information-providing service systems that can help to avoid crises based on disembedded systems.

- ABSTRACT (IN ENGLISH) - Biological invasions by crustaceans represent a serious threat for native species in Europe. In my thesis I focus on non-indigenous freshwater crayfish introduced to Europe and their parasite Aphanomyces astaci, the pathogen of the crayfish plague. The thesis consists of four already published first-author papers (chapters I, II, IV and V), two first-author manuscripts (chapters III and VI), and one paper which I co-authored (chapter VII). The first part (chapters I-V) focuses on genetic variation in North American crayfish introduced to Europe. We showed that in two crayfish species, both successful invaders in Europe, genetic variation differs significantly, reflecting their different colonization histories on the continent. The spiny-cheek crayfish Orconectes limosus was likely introduced to Europe just once, in small numbers (90 individuals). Variation at the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) level in the spiny-cheek crayfish in Europe is much lower compared to North America (chapter I), although some variation was revealed by nuclear markers in its Central European populations (chapter II). In contrast, the signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus was introduced to Europe several times, in large numbers. Its European populations are highly diverse genetically and belong to a single...

Diplomová práce - abstrakt Dulovcová Iva Abstract The main objective of this Master thesis is to test the hypothesis that economic dependence on the export of minerals allows the monopolization of power and thus reduces the possibility of democracy. The hypothesis will be tested on cases of mineral economies in Peru, Bolivia and Chile. The hypothesis is based on the resource curse theory, which assumes a negative relationship between the presence of natural resources, their export, and level of democracy. In this thesis I expanded this theory with mineral economies factor, therefore beyond purely petroleum countries. Another expansion of the theory lies with international dimension that strongly influences events in selected countries. The thesis will analyze cases of Peru, Bolivia and Chile, especially role of natural resources in these countries, but also economic results and role of democracy in selected countries. In this thesis I use qualitative and quantitative elements. Economic and political development will be analyzed on the basis of process analysis method and method of dependence on previous development. The validity of theoretical concept for these cases will be tested on the basis of the compliance method. Quantitative part of the thesis will be based on causal mechanisms designed by Ross. By...