Superpower Rivalry and Conflict: The Long Shadow of the Cold War on the 21st Century(Routledge Advances in International Relations and Global Politics)

Variously described by historians and thinkers as the 'most terrible century in Western history', 'a century of massacres and wars' and the 'most violent century in human history', the 20th century -- and in particular the period between the First World War and the collapse of the USSR -- forms a coherent historical period which changed the entire face of human history within a few decades. This book examines the trajectory of the Cold War and the fallouts for the rest of the world to seek lessons for the 21st century to manage international relations today and avoid conflict. Written by experts in their field, the chapters provide an alternative perspective to the Western-paradigm dominated international relations theory. The book examines for example whether now in the 21st century the unipolar moment has passed and if the changing economic balance of power, thrown up by globalization, has led to the emergence of a multipolar world capable of economic and multilateral cooperation. It discusses the potential of new cooperative security frameworks, which would provide an impetus to disarmament and protection of the environment globally and asks if nuclear disarmament is feasible and necessary. The book highlights areas in which the potential for conflict is ingrained. Offering Asian perspectives on these issues -- perspectives from countries like Afganistan, Vietnam, West Asia and Pakistan which were embroiled in the Cold War as mere pawns and which have become flashpoints for conflict in our century -- this book is an important contribution to the ongoing debate.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction Chandra Chari Part 1: Superpower Rivalry: An Overview 2. A Historical Overview of the Cold War K. Subrahmanyam 3. Superpower Rivalry and the Victimization of Korea: The Korean War and the North Korean Nuclear Crisis Haksoon Paik 4. Regional Fallout: Vietnam Baladas Ghoshal 5. Afghanistan: Before and After the Cold War Amin Saikal 6. Pakistan and the Cold-War Stephen Cohen Part 2: Prospects for a Multipolar World: Perspectives at the Beginning of the Twenty-first Century 7. Theorizing Unipolarity E. Sridharan 8. Debating Multilateralism: The Role of Emerging Powers Swaran Singh 9. Europe, China, India and the Multipolar World Order Charles Grant 10. Globalization Revisited: Evolving Chinese Discourses on the Open Door Policy and Integration with the World Economy Kalpana Misra 11. Recolonizing West Asia in the 21st Century? Gulshan Dietl 12. Emerging International Order and South Korea’s Survival Strategy Tae Woo Kim Part 3: Thinking Beyond Borders & Boundaries: Prospects for War & Peace 14. Conflict Models: How Relevant are They to Asia? Anuradha M. Chenoy 15. Religion as a Catalyst for Conflict: The Case of Islam Jamal Malik 16. The Antarctic Experiment in Utopia: Sovereignty, Resources and Sustainability Sanjay Chaturvedi Part 4: Looking Ahead: Can History be Prevented from Repeating Itself? 17. Nuclear Disarmament: Mirage or Need of the Hour? P.R. Chari 18. To Err is Statesmanlike, to Learn Folly T.C.A. Srinivasa-Raghavan 19. Is History Being Repeated? Radha Kumar 20. Engaging the Idea of Global Citizenship Siddharth Mallavarapu