The Atlantic Club of Bulgaria and the Embassy of Italy to Bulgaria with the support of the Italian Institute for Culture in Sofia organized a public lecture by professor Massimo de Leonardis, entitled “From the Wars Among States to the Conflicts in the XXI Century: a Historical Perspective”.

The event was organized on the occasion of  the newly published  book by prof. Massimo de Leonardis, entitled „Ultima Ratio Regum. Military Power and International Relations”, which is divided  into two main parts: the connection between diplomacy, revolution and different forms of war and a conception of a just war and cases of its application. The author pays attention to the newly international operations after the end of The Cold War in which Italy took part.

Prof. Massimo de Leonardis commenced  his speech by underlining the constant presence of  war as a fact in the history and the psychology of the human society. In the past we have been eyewitnesses to wars which were too conventional and common while today  they are between countries and resistant movements. Prof. de Leonardis also underlined the role of war as a political instrument, which defines the strategy and the development of countries from years now on.

Prof. Leonardis also underlines the circumstance that in the 21st century  asymmetric conflicts  are being observed such as: commenced military acts  by a coalition of countries against one country , which in some cases uphold resistant movements behind which do not stand the specific principals of the International Law.

During the event were presented important issues referring to the relations between foreign policy and the use of military force in a historical perspective, as well as the role of diplomacy as a tool preventing the use of military force.