International Politics Since World War I

Based on the latest scholarship and newly discovered foreign documents, America's International Relations Since World War I offers a thorough account of American diplomatic history in the 20th century, including coverage of important subjects usually omitted from other texts, such as economicissues and internal development in Russia, the Soviet Union, and China. Organized chronologically, the book avoids taking an interpretive stand on the merits of particular policies, instead offering a political realist interpretation of events. The focus throughout is on the personalities andeconomic, cultural, and military factors which influence the politics of U.S. foreign policy. Within the chronological framework, each chapter presents key foreign relations problems addressed by a particular presidential administration, examining them in historical perspective and context, and concludes with a short assessment of the accomplishments, events and problems of thatadministration. The chapters are cross-referenced topically so students can easily follow a particular subject, such as the Vietnam War, through several administrations. The text also includes a helpful list of recommended readings. Comprehensive and clearly-written, America's International Relations Since World War I is an ideal companion to history and political science courses alike on contemporary American foreign policy.

This study focuses on the politics of World War I placing the events in the context of 20th century international history and explaining why the governments resorted to war in pursuit of their political objectives.

At the conclusion of World War II, Asia was hardly more than a geographic expression. Yet today we recognize Asia as a vibrant and assertive region, fully transformed from the vulnerable nation-states that emerged following the Second World War. The transformation was by no means an inevitable one, but the product of two key themes that have dominated Asia's international relations since 1945: the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to enlist the region's states as assets in the Cold War, and the struggle of nationalistic Asian leaders to develop the domestic support to maintain power and independence in a dangerous international context. Becoming Asia provides a comprehensive, systemic account of how these themes played out in Asian affairs during the postwar years, covering not only East Asia, but South and Central Asia as well. In addition to exploring the interplay between nationalism and Cold War bipolarity during the first postwar decades, authors Alice Lyman Miller and Richard Wich chart the rise of largely export-led economies that are increasingly making the region the global center of gravity, and document efforts in the ongoing search for regional integration. The book also traces the origins and evolution of deep-rooted issues that remain high on the international agenda, such as the Taiwan question, the division of Korea and the threat of nuclear proliferation, the Kashmir issue, and the nuclearized Indian-Pakistani conflict, and offers an account of the rise of China and its implications for regional and global security and prosperity. Primary documents excerpted throughout the text—such as leaders' talks and speeches, international agreements, secret policy assessments—enrich accounts of events, offering readers insight into policymakers' assumptions and perceptions at the time.

The authors argue for the appropriateness of viewing the era after World War II as a separate historical epoch because of seven major consequences of the war. Specifically these were the end of Europe as the center of international power, the rise of the United States and the Soviet Union to superpower status, the emergence of the Cold War, the beginnings of the nuclear age, the rise of nationalism and independence movements in Asia and Africa, and a renewed effort to use international organizations to secure peace. Some of the topics treated include the origins and development of the Cold War in Europe and Asia, the development of Arab and Israeli nationalism, the Sino-Soviet split of the 1960s, the Vietnam War, Third World debt, South African apartheid, the rise of militant Islam, Japan's emergence as an economic power, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

rofessor Gilpin uses history, sociology, and economic theory to identify the forces causing change in the world order.

This text focuses on personalities, economic, cultural and military influences on the politics of US foreign policy. Each chapter presents foreign relations problems addressed by a specific presidential administration, and concludes with an assessment of the accomplishments, events and problems.