A comprehensive overview of the most important international events, movements, and controversies of the 20th century.
Written by distinguished scholars, each an authority in their field
Explores influential, underlying themes such as imperialism, nationalism, internationalism, technological developments, and changes in diplomatic methods
Addresses a broad range of topics, including diplomacy of wartime and peacemaking, the cold war era and the -new world order-, the end of European empires, the rise of nationalism in the Third World, globalization, and terrorism
Chronological organization makes the volume easily accessible
Includes useful guides for further reading and research
"A useful guide." (
Reference Reviews , Issue 4 2008)
Highly recommended. Standing out from this overall impressive body of work are the contributions on the undertones and causes of WWI essential further reading. ( Choice )
Notes on Contributors ix
Preface and Acknowledgments xiv
Maps xv
Introduction 1
Twentieth–Century International History: The Changing Face of Empire 3 Gordon Martel
Part I Undertones 11
1 Imperialism 13 John Mackenzie
2 Nationalism 26 R. J. B. Bosworth
3 Internationalism 39 Andrew Webster
4 A Shrinking World 52 Jeffrey A. Engel
5 A Changing Diplomatic World 65 Ralph Blessing
Part II The First World War and Its Consequences 79
6 The Triple Alliance 81 Jürgen Angelow and Gordon Martel
7 The Ententes, 1894 1914 94 Keith Neilson
8 The July Crisis 105 Samuel R. Williamson, Jr.
9 Wartime Promises and Postwar Europe 118 David Dutton
10 Wartime Promises and the Postwar Empires 131 Matthew Hughes
11 Envisioning a New World Order 143 Ian D. Thatcher
12 The Versailles System 154 Erik Goldstein
13 The Legacy of the First World War 166 Gaynor Johnson
Part III The Coming of the Second World War 179
14 Why International Finance Mattered: 1919 1939 181 Robert D. Boyce
15 The Far Eastern Crisis and the Balance of Power, 1920 1941 195 Greg Kennedy
16 The Challenge to Empire in the Middle East and Asia 207 Gavin D. Brockett
17 Mussolini s War in Ethiopia 220 Giuseppe Finaldi
18 The Challenge in Europe, 1935 1941 233 P. M. H. Bell
19 Appeasement 243 Andrew Crozier
20 Stalin and the West 257 Alexander Hill
21 The United States and the End of Isolation 269 Justus D. Doenecke
Part IV From Grand Alliance to Cold War 283
22 The Grand Alliance, 1941 1945 285 Warren F. Kimball
23 A Bipolar World 299 Saki Ruth Dockrill
24 A Third World? 314 Norrie MacQueen
25 Making the New Europe: European Integration since 1950 327 Piers Ludlow
26 The Making of Modern Southeast Asia in the Age of Decolonization and the Cold War 340 Kevin Ruane
27 The Middle East, 1945 1991: The Making of a Mare′s Nest 354 Saul Kelly
28 The Sino–Soviet Alliance 366 Sergey Radchenko
Part V A New World Order? 379
29 The Collapse of the Soviet Union and the End of the Cold War 381 Martin McCauley
30 War and Peace in the Global Community, 1989 2001 394 Lloyd E. Ambrosius
31 Globalization 408 Alfred E. Eckes
32 Terrorism: September 11, 2001 and its Consequences 422 Michael Bauer
Bibliography 437
Index 459
Gordon Martel is Professor of History at University of Northern British Columbia. He is author of
Imperial Diplomacy (1985) and
The Origins of the First World War (second edition, 1996), and editor of
The Origins of the Second World War Reconsidered (second edition, 2002), and
The Times and Appeasement (2002).
A Companion to International History 1900–2001 offers a comprehensive overview of the most important international events, movements, and controversies of the twentieth century. Written by distinguished contributors, each of whom is a recognized authority in their field, this volume goes beyond reporting on the century s events and extends its coverage into the varying interpretations of their consequences.
Beginning with an introductory section detailing the prevailing undertones of the century s history, this volume follows a chronological structure from the origins of the First World War to the formation of a globalized new world order. Additionally, the book addresses a broad range of topics, including the diplomacy of wartime and peacemaking, the Cold War era, the end of European empires, the rise of nationalism in the Third World, globalization, and terrorism. The inclusion of useful guides and suggestions for further readings makes A Companion to International History an indispensable tool for scholars and students alike.