A covenant with power: America and world order from Wilson to Reagan

This revisionist interpretation of American diplomacy since World War I begins by examining the heritage of Woodrow Wilson, whose idealistic search for a League of Nations turned instead into a covenant with power. Gardner then presents stimulating new discussions of FDR's use of power politics, the Cold War years, and the Vietnam War, ending with an assessment of power politics under the Nixon, Carter, and Reagan administrations. Original and incisive, this book offers a provocative view of more than fifty years of American power and illusions. Acknowledgments Contents Introduction 1 Woodrow Wilson and the Liberal Covenant with Power 2 Franklin Roosevelt and the Crisis of Legitimacy 3 The Battle over Eastern Europe 4 The New Anti-Comintern Pact: Western Europe and the NATO Protectorate 5 Stopping the Slow Process of Strangulation: The Korean War, Europe, and America 6 The Perils of Liberation 7 Vietnam: The Whole World Is Watching 8 The Burden of Richard Nixon 9 On Board the Pequod: The Search for a 1980s’ Foreign Policy A Note on Sources and Suggestions for Further Reading Index