International History

What was Roosevelt’s ‘Vision of Europe’?

Tatiana McArthur • Nov 30 2009 • Essays

Roosevelt had a wide reaching and aggressive plan for planning post-war Europe. The formation of a strong Anglo-American alliance was critical for both parties during and after the war. For the United States, Britain was necessary in promoting democratic ideals and policing the states of Europe, something it was in a better geographical position to do. The signing of the Atlantic Charter in the early 1940’s cemented the partnership that has continued up to present times.

Clausewitz: War, Peace and Politics

Jordan Lindell • Nov 26 2009 • Essays

With tactics from Vom Kriege used widely as military doctrine and foreign policy around the world based on Clausewitzian theories such as the paradoxical trinity and the center of gravity, it is apparent that Clausewitz’s lessons live on. Because of this continued application to the modern world, even over 150 years later, it is difficult to disagree with Clausewitz and the concepts of war, peace, and politics set forth in his work.

When and Why did Opinion Shift Decisively from Favoring the Bretton Woods System to Floating Exchange Rates?

Joe Simone • Nov 15 2009 • Essays

Shifts in opinion from favoring the fixed regime to favoring the floating regime illustrated that something fundamental changed in the 1960s and early 1970s. The fundamental change was that the international post-war economic system was on the verge of collapse.

Francisco de Vitoria and On the American Indians: A Modern Contribution to International Relations

Adrien Jahier • Sep 24 2009 • Essays

Francisco de Vitoria, a theologian of the 16th century and core writer of the Renaissance, questions our understanding of international affairs and, thus, International Relations as an academic discipline. He leads us to think about the ambiguity of the norms of the contemporary international system, and of international law.

An Evaluation of Challenges to the Traditional Notions of Sovereignty in the Post Cold-War Era

Rachelle Kamba Ilenda • Sep 18 2009 • Essays

This essays discusses the ways in which four prevalent different definitions or spheres of sovereignty, have challenged the traditional notions of sovereignty since the early 1990s. These are; domestic sovereignty, interdependence sovereignty, international legal sovereignty and Westphalia sovereignty.

Did the Creation of NATO Prevent the Establishment of Europe as a ‘third force’ Between East and West During the Cold War?

Alistair Law • Aug 24 2009 • Essays

There was never sufficient political will for an independent European security identity to be pursued in the early years of the Cold War. European states actively put their trust in the United States to act as guarantor for the continent.

Remember the Western Sahara? Conflict, Irredentism, Nationalism and International Intervention

Pablo de Orellana • Aug 7 2009 • Essays

Almost 35 years have passed since Spain left its former colony to its sad fate of blood and war. As all parties stand now, the conflict is far from being resolved. This paper is an attempt to discern the motives and forces behind the Western Saharan conflict from the 1975 crisis to the present.

Is Coercive Diplomacy a Viable Means to Achieve Political Objectives?

Ilario Schettino • Jun 29 2009 • Essays

Coercive diplomacy is one of the most intriguing and common practices of conducting inter-state relations and embodies the essence of the art of diplomacy: achieving political objectives and fostering a state’s national interest without waging a war. The present essay will first offer a theoretical framework on the notion of coercive diplomacy.

Was the 1920s an ‘era of illusion’?

Pamela-Suzanne Dawson • Jun 24 2009 • Essays

If Hollywood is to be believed, the first half of the Twentieth-Century was characterised by traditional moral values and romantic ideals. The 1920s were full of happy maidens marrying their long lost loves who had all miraculously survived World War One. But in his book ‘The Twentieth-Century World, An International History’, William R. Keylor refers to the 1920s and an “era of illusion”. The following essay will explore this claim.

Hitler’s Foreign Policy and the Third Reich: 1936-1939

Piangtawan Phanprasit • May 8 2009 • Essays

In evaluating Hitler’s power as the maker of German foreign policy from 1936 to 1939 this essay covers some of the most controversial debates on Nazi history. It will show that whilst Hitler determined the direction of foreign policy, it was his exploitation of the opportunities placed before him that led to the Third Reich’s diplomatic successes during the period.

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