The Tragedy of American Diplomacy

Description

Introduction: History and the transcendence of the tragic -- Imperial anticolonialism. The transformation of the expansionist outlook ; The crisis of the 1890s and the turn to imperialism -- The imperialism of idealism -- The rising tide of revolution -- The legend of isolationism. A great debate over the tactics of empire ; The internationalization of business -- The war for the American frontier -- The nightmare of Depression and the vision of omnipotence. Roosevelt and Stalin confront the dilemmas of victory ; The open door policy and the onset of the Cold War ; A new vision of omnipotence and a misreading of history prompt the United States to overplay its hand ; The diplomacy of the vicious circle -- The impotence of nuclear supremacy -- The terrifying momentum toward disaster -- Conclusion: The wisdom of an open door for revolutions -- Afterword: Tragedy renewed / by Andrew J. Bacevich.