Monopoly of violence : why Europeans hate going to war
- England Faber and Faber c2007.
- xx, 284 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. Hard Bound
Rs.950/-
Since 1945, the European states which had previously glamorised their military elites, and made going to war the highest expression of patriotism, have renounced violence as a way of settling their disputes. Violence has been eclipsed as a tool of statesmen. This astonishing reversal is the subject of James Sheehan's masterly book. It is also a timely reminder of the differences between Europe and America, at a time when the USA is asserting its right and duty to make war for ideological or self-interested ends. And how Europeans will live in this dangerous, violent world is a question that becomes ever more urgent as the chaos in the Middle East affects the stability of societies with open frontiers and liberal traditions.
Prologue: War and Peace in the Twentieth Century -- Pt. I. Living in Peace, Preparing for War, 1900-1914 -- 1. "Without War, There Would Be No State" -- 2. Pacifism and Militarism -- 3. Europeans in a Violent World -- Pt. II. A World Made by War, 1914-19 -- 4. War and Revolution -- 5. The Twenty-Year Truce -- 6. The Last European War -- Pt. III. States Without War -- 7. The Foundations of the Postwar World -- 8. The Rise of the Civilian State -- 9. Why Europe Will Not Become a Superpower -- Epilogue: The Future of the Civilian State.
9780571220854
Peace--Political aspects. War United States Diplomatic relations