The Fall of Great Powers: Peace, Stability, and LegitimacyGeir Lundestad The collapse of the Soviet Union has produced many dramatic effects, some positive--the end of the Cold War, disarmament, self-determination for Central Europe--and others quite negative--ethnic conflict in the former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia and general instability in the region. In a thorough analysis of the Soviet case, Britain, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and the United States, this timely study examines why great powers fall. The contributors examine the wide-ranging consequences of the fall of great powers for peace and stability in the world. They focus much attention on the tension between stability and legitimacy and between a peaceful and just democratic order. The contributors include many of the world's leading experts in their respective fields, among them Paul Kennedy, John Gaddis, William McNeill and Immanuel Wallerstein. |
Contents
Introductory Historical Commentary William H McNeill | 3 |
Historical Mechanisms | 23 |
Legitimacy | 47 |
Copyright | |
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affairs Africa American anti-empire argued army Asia Asian Austria-Hungary became become Britain British Cambridge Central China civil Cold Cold War collapse colonial communist conflict countries created crisis cultural decline decolonization defeat democracy democratic dominant Eastern Europe economic integration elites emerged ethnic European expansion forces foreign policy France French future Geir Lundestad German global Gorbachev Gulf Habsburg Habsburg Monarchy hegemonic Hitler Hungary ideology Imperial Germany imperial powers imperial rule independence India interests Japan Japanese leaders legitimacy liberal London major Middle East military modern monarchy Moscow nationalist nuclear Ottoman Ottoman Empire Paul Kennedy peace and stability period political polyethnic post-Cold-War principle reform regime regional relations republics revolution Robert Gilpin role Rousseau rulers Russian self-determination social society Soviet empire Soviet Union Stalin structures successor superpowers territories tion trade traditional United University Press urban USSR wars West Western world economy York