EMPIRES: THE LOGIC OF WORLD DOMINATION FROM ANCIENT ROME TO THE UNITED STATES; TRANS. BY PATRICK CAMILLER

"Herfried Munkler is a walking one-man think tank."Die ZeitUntil recently, it was thought by many that empires were relics of the past. But suddenly, in the wake of 9/11, the global war on terror and the invasion of Iraq, the question of imperial power has returned to the centre of debate: we now seem to be faced with a new American empire that many people regard as threatening. Do the politicians in Washington dictate the rules that the rest of the world must follow? Or do empires have a logic of their own to which even the most powerful rulers must succumb?In this major new book, Herfried Munkler analyses the characteristics of empires and traces the rise and fall of imperial powers from Ancient Rome to the present day. What is an empire? What risks does an imperial order face and what opportunities are offered? Munkler shows how empires provide stability and examines the dangers they face when their powers are overstretched. He argues that, while earlier empires from Ancient China and Ancient Rome to the Spanish, Portuguese and British empires had their own historical conditions, certain basic principles concerning the development and preservation of power can be discerned in all empires and are still relevant today. This book is a commanding walk through the history of empires and at the same time a brilliant analysis of the most modern of topics. It will appeal to students and scholars of international politics and history as well as general readers interested in political history and contemporary world politics. Title......Page p0003.djvu copyright......Page p0004.djvu Contents......Page p0005.djvu Preface......Page p0007.djvu Acknowledgements......Page p0010.djvu 1. What is an Empire?......Page p1.djvu Brief sketch, characteristics of empires......Page p4.djvu World empires and great empires......Page p9.djvu Compulsion to intervene, neutrality options, & Melian dialogue in Thucydides......Page p14.djvu 2. Empire, Imperialism & Hegemony: a Necessary Distinction......Page p18.djvu Self-destructive capitalism: economic theories of imperialism......Page p19.djvu The centre—periphery problem......Page p22.djvu Prestige & great power rivalry: political theories of imperialism......Page p28.djvu Expansion pressures, marginality advantages & time sovereignty......Page p34.djvu Tricky distinction between hegemony & empire......Page p40.djvu 3. Steppe Empires, Sea Empires & Global Economies: a Short Typology of Imperial Rule......Page p47.djvu Formation of empires through military & commercial extraction of surplus product......Page p49.djvu The (at least) two sides of empires......Page p59.djvu Imperial cycles & Augustan thresholds......Page p65.djvu 4. Civilization & Barbarian Frontiers: Tasks & Hallmarks of Imperial Order......Page p80.djvu Peace as a justification for imperial rule......Page p81.djvu Imperial missions & the sacredness of empire......Page p84.djvu The Idea 'barbarian' & construction of imperial space......Page p96.djvu Prosperity as justification & programme for imperial rule......Page p101.djvu 5. Defeat of Empires by the Power of the Weak......Page p108.djvu Forms of imperial overstretch......Page p111.djvu Political mobilization & military asymmetry: strategies of anti—imperial players......Page p119.djvu Cultural identity struggles & terrorism as a strategy for wars of devastation......Page p130.djvu 6. The Surprising Return of Empire in the Post-Imperial Age......Page p139.djvu Analyses of the end of empire & the problem of post-imperial areas......Page p141.djvu The United States: the new empire......Page p146.djvu A democratic empire?......Page p154.djvu Europe’s imperial challenge......Page p161.djvu Maritime Empire of the Athenians ca. 450 BC......Page p168.djvu Roman Empire in the Age of Augustus (63 BC - AD 14)......Page p170.djvu The Han Empire, 202 BC - AD 220......Page p172.djvu The Mongol Empire......Page p174.djvu The Russian Empire, 1551-1914......Page p176.djvu The Ottoman Empire by 1683......Page p178.djvu Spain and Portugal ca. 1600......Page p180.djvu E. India Company bases by 1760......Page p182.djvu Colonial Empires between 1800 and 1815......Page p184.djvu Colonial Empires of European powers c. 1914......Page p186.djvu Countries with American Bases (as of 31 Dec 2004)......Page p188.djvu Notes......Page p190.djvu References & Bibliography......Page p221.djvu Index......Page p239.djvu "Herfried Munkler is a walking one-man think tank." Die Zeit Until recently, it was thought by many that empires were relics of the past. But suddenly, in the wake of 9/11, the global war on terror and the invasion of Iraq, the question of imperial power has returned to the centre of we now seem to be faced with a new American empire that many people regard as threatening. Do the politicians in Washington dictate the rules that the rest of the world must follow? Or do empires have a logic of their own to which even the most powerful rulers must succumb? In this major new book, Herfried Munkler analyses the characteristics of empires and traces the rise and fall of imperial powers from Ancient Rome to the present day. What is an empire? What risks does an imperial order face and what opportunities are offered? Munkler shows how empires provide stability and examines the dangers they face when their powers are overstretched. He argues that, while earlier empires from Ancient China and Ancient Rome to the Spanish, Portuguese and British empires had their own historical conditions, certain basic principles concerning the development and preservation of power can be discerned in all empires and are still relevant today. This book is a commanding walk through the history of empires and at the same time a brilliant analysis of the most modern of topics. It will appeal to students and scholars of international politics and history as well as general readers interested in political history and contemporary world politics. This Book Is A Walk Through The History Of Empires And At The Same Time An Analysis Of The Most Modern Of Topics. It Will Appeal To Students And Scholars Of International Politics And History As Well As General Readers Interested In Political History And Contemporary World Politics.--book Jacket. What Is An Empire? -- Empire, Imperialism And Hegemony: A Necessary Distinction -- Steppe Empires, Sea Empires And Global Economies: A Short Typology Of Imperial Rule -- Civilization And Barbarian Frontiers: Tasks And Hallmarks Of Imperial Order -- The Defeat Of Empires By The Power Of The Weak -- The Surprising Return Of Empire In The Post-imperial Age. Herfried Münkler ; Translated By Patrick Camiller. Translation Of: Imperien : Die Logik Der Weltherrschaft : Vom Alten Rom Bis Zu Den Vereinigten Staaten Includes Bibliographical References (p. 221-238) And Index.