Jonathan Holslag

A three-thousand year history of the world that examines the causes of war and the search for peace In three thousand years of history, China has spent at least eleven centuries at war. The Roman Empire was in conflict during at least 50 per cent of its lifetime. Since 1776, the United States has spent over one hundred years at war. The dream of peace has been universal in the history of humanity. So why have we so rarely been able to achieve it? In A Political History of the World, Jonathan Holslag has produced a sweeping history of the world, from the Iron Age to the present, that investigates the causes of conflict between empires, nations and peoples and the attempts at diplomacy and cosmopolitanism. A birds-eye view of three thousand years of history, the book illuminates the forces shaping world politics from Ancient Egypt to the Han Dynasty, the Pax Romana to the rise of Islam, the Peace of Westphalia to the creation of the United Nations. This truly global approach enables Holslag to search for patterns across different eras and regions, and explore larger questions about war, diplomacy, and power. Has trade fostered peace? What are the limits of diplomacy? How does environmental change affect stability? Is war a universal sin of power? At a time when the threat of nuclear war looms again, this is a much-needed history intended for students of international politics, and anyone looking for a background on current events.

Three Thousand Years of War and Peace

A Political History of the World

Analyse van de opmars van China als grootmacht op economisch gebied.

China op het economische strijdpad̈

De Nieuwe Zijderoute

de wereldpolitiek sinds 1989

Van muur tot muur

For all their spectacular growth, China and India must still lift a hundred million citizens out of poverty and create jobs for the numerous laborers. Both powers hope trade and investment will sustain national unity. For the first time, Jonathan Holslag identifies these objectives as new sources of rivalry and argues that China and India cannot grow without fierce contest. Though he recognizes that both countries wish to maintain stable relations, Holslag argues that success in implementing economic reform will give way to conflict. This rivalry is already tangible in Asia as a whole, where shifting patterns of economic influence have altered the balance of power and have led to shortsighted policies that undermine regional stability. Holslag also demonstrates that despite two decades of peace, mutual perceptions have become hostile, and a military game of tit-for-tat promises to diminish prospects for peace. Holslag therefore refutes the notion that development and interdependence lead to peace, and he does so by embedding rich empirical evidence within broader debates on international relations theory. His book is down-to-earth and realistic while also taking into account the complexities of internal policymaking. The result is a fascinating portrait of the complicated interaction among economic, political, military, and perceptional levels of diplomacy.

Prospects for Peace

China and India

China?s ambition is to rise peacefully. Avoiding fierceconflicts with its Asian neighbors is essential to this goal.Jonathan Holslag makes a brilliant case for the geopoliticaldilemma facing the rising China, and his argument that China willlikely enter into major conflict with Asia is compelling andthoughtful. Both Chinese experts and decision-makers will find thisbook illuminating reading. Asia is set for another great power war. As China?s influencespreads beyond its territorial borders and its global aspirationsgain momentum, so tensions with its neighbors are reaching breakingpoint. In this clear-sighted book, Jonathan Holslag debunks themyth of China?s peaceful rise, arguing instead that China?s policyof shrewd intransigence towards other Asian countries willinevitably result in serious conflict. China?s ambitions are not malicious. But what China wants ?namely to maximize its security and prosperity ? will lead to ahuge power imbalance, where China towers above her neighbors,impels them into unequal partnerships, and is increasingly able toseize disputed territory. At present, China?s focused anduncompromising pursuit of its own interests is bearing fruit. Manyof China?s neighbors are still too weak to counter Beijing?sinfluence, and China has ably exploited divisions between them todivide and rule. But several regional powers are now joining forcesto stop China. With the PRC unlikely to back down and nationalismriding high, China?s coming war with Asia is already in themaking.

China's Coming War with Asia

1989 ushered in a new age of freedom and prosperity. Thirty years later, the golden era is over. What went wrong? How did the age of globalization – of growing connectivity, affluence, and growth – give way? Jonathan Holslag navigates through the calm seas and rip tides of global politics from the Cold War to the present. He tells a story of faltering momentum and squandered opportunities that explains how the West’s sources of strength were lost to rising consumerism, unbalanced trade, and half-hearted diplomatic engagement. All the while, other powers, like China and Russia, grew stronger. With his trademark verve, Holslag untangles the threads of this story to reveal that it was not so much the ambition of China, the cunning of Putin, or the greed of African strongmen that led the world into this dark place; it was the failure of the West to listen to its people, to show clear leadership, and reinvent itself, in spite of ample evidence that things were going awry. Impressive in scope and analytical depth, World Politics since 1989 is a magisterial account of how we got to where we are and what lessons can be learned from the political arrogance and complacency of the recent past.

World Politics since 1989

Emboldened by economic strength and growing military power, China is emerging as a challenger to US dominance in the Pacific. But its promised peaceful rise has done little to convince regional powers that it will not use force to press longstanding territorial claims or attempt sea-denial operations in Asia's lucrative trade routes. Uncertainty about Beijing's intentions could thus beget a new, unpredictable arms race as states scramble to protect their interests. For the short term, however, governments are weighing up the question of how far their interests may be served by cooperating with China and trying to usher it into the role of a responsible global power, while hedging their bets with traditional alliances and military modernisation. This issue analyses China's inexorable rise from peasant society to economic powerhouse. In charting the line that Beijing has walked in building up its forces alongside its network of trading links to Asia and the US, it reveals the challenge that lies ahead for policymakers: namely, to follow China's development ever more closely, to determine whether it could come to see the costs of military conflict as outweighing the benefits of peaceful trade and economic growth.

China's Military Rise

Trapped Giant

Nos ultimos tres mil anos, a China passou pelo menos onze seculos em guerra. O Imperio Romano esteve em combate no minimo durante metade da sua existencia. Desde o ano da sua independencia, em 1776, os Estados Unidos envolveram-se em diversos conflitos armados num total de mais de cem anos. Se o sonho de paz tem sido universal ao longo da historia da humanidade, por que raz?o e t?o dificil de alcancar? Neste livro surpreendente, Jonathan Holslag prop?e-nos uma nova historia do mundo, desde a Idade do Ferro ate ao presente, centrada nos conflitos entre imperios, nac?es e povos, e no impacto da diplomacia e do cosmopolitismo. Uma vis?o global de tres mil anos de historia, o livro descreve e explica os sucessivos periodos de guerra e de paz, desde o Antigo Egito ate a Dinastia Han, da Pax Romana ao surgimento do Isl?o, das primeiras conferencias de paz a criac?o das Nac?es Unidas. Esta aventura historica epica permite a Holslag estabelecer padr?es entre diferentes eras e regi?es, denunciar mitos generalizados sobre a guerra e discorrer sobre quest?es essenciais da natureza da politica global. E mesmo verdade que o comercio fomenta a paz? Como e que as alterac?es climaticas afetam a estabilidade das sociedades? Sera que a participac?o democratica e um trav?o a agress?o? E a guerra um pecado universal do poder? Num momento de tens?es geopoliticas crescentes, Guerra e Paz - Uma Historia Politica do Mundo mostra como e que chegamos aonde estamos atualmente - e porque e que n?o devemos dar por certa a paz.

Guerra e Paz Uma História Política do Mundo

In de afgelopen drieduizend jaar was China elf eeuwen in oorlog. Het Romeinse Rijk was gedurende de helft van zijn bestaan in conflicten verwikkeld. Sinds 1776 zijn de Verenigde Staten zeker honderd jaar in oorlog geweest. Mensen hebben altijd gedroomd van vrede. Waarom bereiken we haar zo zelden? In Vrede en oorlog presenteert Jonathan Holslag een meeslepende wereldgeschiedenis, van de IJzertijd tot vandaag. Hij onderzoekt de oorzaken van conflicten tussen rijken, landen en volken en de pogingen tot diplomatie en verzoening. Het boek schetst een beeld van de politieke krachtenvelden van het oude Egypte tot de Han-dynastie, van de Pax Romana tot de opkomst van de islam, van de Vrede van Westfalen tot de oprichting van de Verenigde Naties.

Een wereldgeschiedenis

Vrede en oorlog

JONATHAN HOLSLAG predă politică internațională la Universitatea Liberă din Bruxelles. Este autorul a mai multor cărți, printre care China’s Coming War with Asia și Trapped Giant. Este consilier special al vicepreședintelui Comisiei Europene, membru Rockefeller al Comisiei Trilaterale, membru al Consiliului pentru Securitate și Cooperare din Asia Pacific, și membru Nobel la Institutul Nobel din Oslo. A avut apariții la CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, CCTV și Al Jazeera, și a scris pentru publicații precum Financial Times și Guardian. O istorie de 3 000 de ani a lumii care analizează cauzele războiului și dorința de pace În 3 000 de ani de istorie, China a petrecut cel puțin 11 secole în război. Imperiul Roman a fost în conflict în cel puțin 50 la sută din existența sa. Din 1776, Statele Unite a petrecut peste 100 de ani în lupte. Visul de pace a fost universal în istoria umanității. Prin urmare, de ce am fost atât de rar în stare să îl atingem? În cartea O istorie politică a lumii, Jonathan Holslag a realizat o adevărată istorie a omenirii, din Epoca Fierului în prezent, care investighează cauzele conflictelor între imperii, națiuni și popoare și tentativele de diplomație și cosmopolitism. O privire exhaustivă asupra a trei milenii de istorie, cartea aruncă lumină asupra forțelor care modelează politica mondială din Egiptul antic, în China dinastiei Han, de la Pax Romana, la apariția Islamului, de la Pacea Westphalia la crearea Națiunilor Unite. Această abordare cu adevărat globală îi permite lui Holslag să caute modele în diferite epoci și regiuni și să exploreze probleme mai complexe despre război, diplomație și putere. Comerțul a adus cu sine pacea? Care sunt limitele diplomației? Cum afectează schimbările climatice stabilitatea? Războiul este un păcat universal al puterii? Într-un moment în care amenințarea războiului nuclear reapare, este o istorie de care avem nevoie, utila studenților la politică internațională, dar și oricui are nevoie de un cadru pentru a înțelege evenimentele actuale.

Trei mii de ani de razboi si pace

O istorie politica a lumii

China?s ambition is to rise peacefully. Avoiding fierce conflicts with its Asian neighbors is essential to this goal. Jonathan Holslag makes a brilliant case for the geopolitical dilemma facing the rising China, and his argument that China will likely enter into major conflict with Asia is compelling and thoughtful. Both Chinese experts and decision-makers will find this book illuminating reading. Asia is set for another great power war. As China?s influence spreads beyond its territorial borders and its global aspirations gain momentum, so tensions with its neighbors are reaching breaking point. In this clear-sighted book, Jonathan Holslag debunks the myth of China?s peaceful rise, arguing instead that China?s policy of shrewd intransigence towards other Asian countries will inevitably result in serious conflict. China?s ambitions are not malicious. But what China wants ? namely to maximize its security and prosperity ? will lead to a huge power imbalance, where China towers above her neighbors, impels them into unequal partnerships, and is increasingly able to seize disputed territory. At present, China?s focused and uncompromising pursuit of its own interests is bearing fruit. Many of China?s neighbors are still too weak to counter Beijing?s influence, and China has ably exploited divisions between them to divide and rule. But several regional powers are now joining forces to stop China. With the PRC unlikely to back down and nationalism riding high, China?s coming war with Asia is already in the making.

una historia política del mundo

Tres mil años de guerra y paz

For almost two decades, China has claimed that its expanding economy benefits Europe, stimulating European growth, exports, and employment. But the reality is not so clear-cut. Whilst individual companies may have profited from China’s economic rise,unbalanced trade with China has actually cost Europe over 1.4 trillion euros in the last ten years as well as undermining its political influence. China’s monumental infrastructural project, the Belt And Road Initiative or New Silk Road as it has come to be known - is set to make this situation even worse. The Silk Road Trap is the first book to expose just how risky this uneven partnership is for Europe. In it, leading expert on Asian affairs Jonathan Holslag, argues that Europe must reduce its reliance on China and work on building a stronger and more sustainable European economic model. By revealing the political aspirations and economic strategy behind the new Silk Road, he lays out its implications for specific European industries, from steel over aircraft to robots. Holslag, though critical of China, does not, however, make the case for confrontational, Trumpian protectionism. Instead, he posits that the new Silk Road need not ensnare Europe; it offers the continent a unique opportunity to transition from a future "made in China" to one that is "made in Europe".

How China's Trade Ambitions Challenge Europe

The Silk Road Trap

Το βιβλίο συμπεριλαμβάνεται στη βάση συγγραμμάτων Εύδοξος (κωδικός βιβλίου: 86055597). Μπορείτε να διαβάσετε ένα απόσπασμα, τα περιεχόμενα και το οπισθόφυλλο εδώ. Είναι το εμπόριο παράγοντας ειρήνευσης; Ποια είναι τα όρια της διπλωματίας; Πώς επηρεάζει η κλιματική αλλαγή τη σταθερότητα της παγκόσμιας τάξης; Είναι οι συρράξεις ένα από τα οικουμενικά αμαρτήματα της ισχύος; Σε μια εποχή που η απειλή του πυρηνικού πολέμου αναδύεται ξανά, η Παγκόσμια Πολιτική Ιστορία του Jonathan Holslag μας προσφέρει ένα πανόραμα των διεθνών σχέσεων απολύτως απαραίτητο για όσους θέλουν να κατανοήσουν το παρασκήνιο των σύγχρονων εξελίξεων. Το βιβλίο αυτό εξετάζει συνολικά 3.000 χρόνια ιστορίας, από την αρχή της 1ης χιλιετίας π.Χ. µέχρι τις αρχές του 21ου µ.Χ. αιώνα. Κάθε κεφάλαιο καλύπτει δύο µε τρεις αιώνες και επικεντρώνεται στη γεωγραφική περιοχή για την οποία τα ιστορικά στοιχεία δείχνουν ότι ήταν η πιο σηµαντική εκείνη την εποχή: λόγω του µεγέθους του πληθυσµού της, λόγω της ισχύος της ή λόγω του ηγετικού της ρόλου στα διεθνή ζητήµατα. Με τον τρόπο αυτό, το επίκεντρο µετακινείται από ανατολάς προς δυσµάς, από βορρά προς νότο, καθώς ακολουθεί τα διαρκώς µετακινούµενα κέντρα εξουσίας. Στο σύνολό του το βιβλίο δείχνει µεγάλο ενδιαφέρον για τον αντίκτυπο της παγκόσµιας πολιτικής στη ζωή των κοινών ανθρώπων. Πέρα από τις επιπτώσεις των οικονοµικών αλλαγών, πολύ συχνά ήταν το ξέσπασµα πολέµων που είχε τις µεγαλύτερες συνέπειες και γι’ αυτό ανιχνεύονται τα αίτια και τα αποτελέσµατα των συγκρούσεων, ερευνάται πώς κερδήθηκαν κάποιες συγκρούσεις και πώς χάθηκαν, αναλύεται πώς τις αντιλαµβάνονταν οι συγκρουόµενοι, ενώ παρακολουθούµε επίσης τις απέλπιδες προσπάθειες των διπλωµατών να τις σταµατήσουν. Ακόµα κι αν ο στόχος µας είναι να προσπαθήσουµε να εξαγάγουµε αφηρηµένα, διαχρονικά µοτίβα από την ιστορία του πολέµου και της ειρήνης, θα πρέπει πάνω απ’ όλα να παραµείνει η ιστορία αυτή µια ιστορία ανθρώπινων πλασµάτων, των ελπίδων και των φόβων τους, της ικανότητάς τους για βία, του πόνου τους. Αυτός είναι ο µόνος τρόπος για να κατανοήσουµε τις δύσκολες επιλογές που ορίζουν τη φύση της αληθινής ηγεσίας.

Jonathan Holslag

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