Synopsis

Thoroughly updated throughout, this new edition of The World Since 1945 traces the major political, economic, and ideological patterns that have evolved in the global arena from the end of World War II to the present day. The book provides not only the background that students need in order to understand contemporary international relations, but also new material about politics around the world. Among the current issues covered in this edition are the impact of the ongoing global recession, China’s growing role in the world economy, the unchecked nuclear arms race, NATO’s eastward expansion, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Beautifully written and student friendly, The World Since 1945 has made its place as the text of choice in scores of introductory IR and world history courses.

Table Of Contents
Introduction
I. THE ORIGINS OF THE COLD WAR

• The End of World War II and the Dawn of the Nuclear Age
• The Cold War Institutionalized
• The Cold War in Asia: A Change of Venue
• Confrontation and Coexistence

II. NATIONALISM AND THE END OF COLONIALISM

• Decolonization in Asia
• Decolonization in Africa
• The Middle East: The Arab-Israeli Conflict

III. THE SHIFTING SANDS OF GLOBAL POWER

• The Communist World After Stalin
• The War in Indochina
• Détente and the End of Bipolarity

IV. THE THIRD WORLD

• Problems of Economic Development in the Third World
• Africa
• Latin America
• The People’s Republic of China and Taiwan
• The Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia

V. The EMERGENCE OF A NEW LANDSCAPE

• Japan and South Korea as Economic Powers
• The Globalization of the Economy
• Russia: The Legacy of Soviet Empire
• The Proliferating Nuclear Arms Race
• The Emergence of Political Islam
• September 11, Afghanistan, and Iraq
• The Trajectory of the World Since 1945: A Summary.