The Hard And Bitter Peace World Politics Since 1945

This comprehensive text provides a balanced survey of the Cold War in a genuinely global framework. Presenting not only Soviet and Western perspectives, but also the outlooks of peoples and leaders throughout Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, Edward H. Judge and John W. Langdon offer in-depth treatment of imperialism, anti-imperialism, decolonization, national liberation struggles, and their Cold War connections. The authors explore the background and context for all major developments during the era, as well as capsule biographies and character analyses of key figures. Tracing the Cold War from its roots in East–West tensions before and during World War II through its origins in the immediate postwar era, the book concludes with the Cold War’s legacy, which continues today. Written in a clear and lively style, this compelling text will bring the era to life for readers who didn’t experience its dramas and crises directly.

A seventh edition of this best selling textbook. It summarises in one volume all the major developments in international relations since 1945. The style is concise yet elegant. The text is authoritative, all inclusive, but always accessible, and it is an ideal reference for all students who are a bit vague about topics such as the Vietnam War and the Congo Crisis. Edition updated every five years.

In just three decades, Great Britain’s place in world politics was transformed. In 1945, it was the world’s preeminent imperial power with global interests. By 1975, Britain languished in political stasis and economic recession, clinging to its alliance with the United States and membership in the European Community. Amid this turmoil, British intellectuals struggled to make sense of their country’s decline and the transformed world in which they found themselves. This book assesses their responses to this predicament and explores the different ways British thinkers came to understand the new international relations of the postwar period.

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