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by Robert Latham
In this provocative book, Robert Latham shows how two of the most significant developments of the twentieth century--the spread of liberalism and the unprecedented production of military power--have been profoundly intertwined with one another.
World War II anbd its aftermath constituted a unique historical moment, one that precipitated the forging of U.S. hegemony and a global liberal political order--based upon principles of individual freedom, open commerce, republican democracy, and the right to self-determination. Lucidly interweaving political theory with historical analysis, Latham argues that the building of this liberal order led to the outbreak of the Cold War and to practices that were often violent and exclusionary. He shows how domestic politics not only shaped international liberal relations, but also were a crucial force in the constitution of a massive military network--leaving the promise of robust postwar international institutions unfulfilled, a legacy that still haunts the contemporary international arena. Latham's bold interpretation puts NATO, European integration, economic aid, and intervention on the developed and developing worlds in a new light. He underscores how the dilemmas of postwar order-building are still shaping the policies and institutions of the post-Cold Wart era. At a time when liberal principles, however attractive, are sounded triumphantly around the world, The Liberal Moment puts forth a necessary and forceful cautionary note about this ode of ordering political life on an international basis.
"Robert Latham's thoughtful, interpretive account of U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War reexamines the foundations of international order. The Liberal Moment inquires into the intertwining of internationalism and isolationism and the complex links that tie Western liberalism to militarism. Theorists of international relations will benefit greatly from grappling with the issues that this book raises."
-Peter Katzenstein, Cornell University
"This is a very interesting and imaginative work which makes a major contribution to the understanding of the post-WWII settlement and to international relations analysis in general.-Freidrich Kratochwil, Ludwig-Maximilians Universitat Munchen
"Robert Latham argues that American policies in the postwar liberal international epoch constituted not just a defense of self-determination, but an architectonic concept of world hierarchy. Historians must come to terms with his challenging interpretation of the last half century.-Charles S. Maier, Center for European Studies, Harvard University
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