Description
Book SynopsisIn the blink of an eye, liberal democracy''s moment of triumph was darkened by new threats, challenges, and doubts. Rejecting the view that liberal democracy''s twentieth-century victory was inevitable, distinguished student of war Azar Gat argues that it largely rested on contingent factors and was more doubtful than has been assumed. The world''s liberal democracies, with the United States at the forefront, face new and baffling security threats, with the return of capitalist nondemocratic great powersChina and Russiaand the continued threat of unconventional terror. The democratic peace, or near absence of war among themselves, is a unique feature of liberal democracies'' foreign policy behavior. Arguing that this is merely one manifestation of much more sweeping and less recognized pacifist tendencies typical of liberal democracies, Gat offers a panoramic view of their distinctive way in conflict and war. His book provides a politically and strategically vital understanding of th
Trade ReviewGat, a professor of national security at Tel Aviv University, a Hoover Institution fellow, and author, has gained an international reputation as a military historian and security analyst....A contentious contribution to the foreign policy debate that raises important issues, Gat’s latest will engross security wonks. * Publishers Weekly, Web Exclusive Reviews December 2009 *
Azar Gat’s new book is a worthy successor to his magisterial work on war and civilization. Here, he transcends the by now familiar debates about the democratic peace and the “End of History.” In this brilliant and highly original work, Gat shows not only why democracies triumphed over their authoritarian, fascist, and communist adversaries in the past century, but simultaneously calls attention to the democracies’ unique vulnerabilities. -- Robert J. Lieber, professor of government and international affairs, Georgetown University
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Chapter 1: Why Democracy Won in the Twentieth Century Chapter 3 Chapter 2: The Ascent of Capitalist Parliamentarianism Chapter 4 Chapter 3: Free Trade or Imperialism? Chapter 5 Chapter 4: The Return of the Nondemocratic Great Powers Chapter 6 Chapter 5: The Modern Transformation and the Democratic Peace Chapter 7 Chapter 6: The Democracies' Way in Conflict Chapter 8 Chapter 7: Why Counterinsurgency Fails (with Gil Merom) Chapter 9 Chapter 8: Did Democracies Exterminate the Natives of North America and Australia? Chapter 10 Chapter 9: Unconventional Terror and the New World Disorder Chapter 11 Chapter 10: Conclusion: Strength and Vulnerablities Chapter 12 List of Liberal Democracies' Unique Behavioral Traits in Conflict Chapter 13 Notes Chapter 14 Index
