Democratic Peace Theory as Applied to Europe and the Middle East

Peace has been the goal of many leaders throughout history, and recent democratic movements in the Middle East have made the first steps toward a democratic peace in the region. This paper compares the European experience of Germany and France in the transition to democracy with the recent developments in the Middle East through November 2012. The impact of democratic revolution in Egypt is compared with the government established in Iraq following the U.S. invasion. Already, notable changes can be seen in the bilateral relations between Egypt and Israel, and between Iraq and Iran, which this paper attempts to evaluate in the context of the current political changes. Democratic movements continue to grow in the Middle East, and contrary to the fears of many Western leaders have taken a moderate approach to international relations, preferring peaceful negotiation and deliberation up to this point. If political liberalization continues, the possibility of a new democratic peace is encouraging