Variously described by historians and thinkers as the ‘most terrible century in Western history’, ‘a century of massacres and wars’ and the ‘most violent century in human history’, the 20th century – and in particular the period between the First World War and the collapse of the USSR – forms a coherent historical period which changed the entire face of human history within a few decades. This book examines the trajectory of the Cold War and the fallouts for the rest of the world to seek lessons for the 21st century to manage international relations today and avoid conflict. Written by experts in their field, the chapters provide an alternative perspective to the Western-paradigm dominated international relations theory. The book examines for example whether now in the 21st century the unipolar moment has passed and if the changing economic balance of power, thrown up by globalization, has led to the emergence of a multipolar world capable of economic and multilateral cooperation. It discusses the potential of new cooperative security frameworks, which would provide an impetus to disarmament and protection of the environment globally and asks if nuclear disarmament is feasible and necessary. The book highlights areas in which the potential for conflict is ingrained. Offering Asian perspectives on these issues – perspectives from countries like Afganistan, Vietnam, West Asia and Pakistan which were embroiled in the Cold War as mere pawns and which have become flashpoints for conflict in our century – this book is an important contribution to the ongoing debate.
Author(s): Chandra Chari
Series: Routledge Advances in International Relations and Global Politics
Edition: 1
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2010
Language: English
Pages: 278
Tags: Международные отношения;Международные отношения;
Book Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 8
Copyright......Page 9
Contents......Page 12
Tables......Page 14
Contributors......Page 15
Acknowledgements......Page 23
1 Introduction......Page 26
Part I Superpower rivalry: An overview......Page 38
2 A historical overview of the Cold War......Page 40
3 Superpower rivalry and the victimization of Korea: The Korean War and the North Korean nuclear crisis......Page 59
4 Regional fallout: Vietnam......Page 75
5 Afghanistan: During the Cold War......Page 82
6 Pakistan and the Cold War......Page 97
Part II Prospects for a multipolar world: Perspectives at the beginning of the twenty-first century......Page 110
7 Theorizing unipolarity......Page 112
8 Debating multilateralism: The role of emerging powers......Page 122
9 Europe, China, India and the multipolar world order......Page 135
10 Globalization revisited: Evolving Chinese discourses on the Open Door policy and integration with the world economy......Page 149
11 Recolonizing West Asia in the twenty-first century?......Page 165
12 Emerging international order and South Korea’s survival strategy......Page 177
Part III Thinking beyond borders and boundaries: Prospects for war and peace......Page 190
13 Conflict models: How relevant are they to Asia?......Page 192
14 Religion as a catalyst for conflict: The case of Islam......Page 201
15 The Antarctic experiment in utopia: Sovereignty, resources and sustainability......Page 214
Part IV Looking ahead: Can history be prevented from repeating itself?......Page 226
16 Nuclear disarmament: Mirage or need of the hour?......Page 228
17 To err is statesmanlike, to learn folly......Page 240
18 Is history being repeated?......Page 247
19 Engaging the idea of global citizenship......Page 258
Index......Page 268
