Post-war international relations

Author: Gu Guanfu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-08-01
Features: This book is a revised new edition of "Postwar International Relations." The original book, published in 1998, was well-received by a broad readership and was printed twice. Due to continued societal demand, the book was reprinted. However, considering the significant changes in recent years, the publisher and the author discussed the need for a revised edition to include new content and enhance the book's utility. The basic principle of the revision was to retain the main chapters of the original work while making necessary adjustments, including: adding an introductory chapter on international relations to explain the foundational theories of the field; incorporating recent developments in international relations over the past five years in each chapter; revising key chapters based on changing circumstances; adding an appendix to the last three chapters to address hot issues in the Third World, UN peacekeeping operations, and the world's listed terrorist organizations. Additionally, outdated content in certain chapters was revised accordingly. After the revision, the book maintains its original features:
(1) A combination of history and theory, with a focus on history. The development of postwar international relations is systematically elaborated in four levels: international structure, great power relations, the rise of regional powers, and international organizations and several issues affecting international relations. These elements are interrelated, forming an overall framework for postwar international relations. The book goes beyond general historical accounts by including necessary theoretical analyses, such as the structure issues in chapters and the problems of terrorism and nationalism in chapter 10.
(2) A combination of specialized research and comprehensive analysis, examining postwar international relations from multiple perspectives. The book studies the various changes in postwar international relations, clarifies historical facts, and provides in-depth analysis of the development of international relations over more than half a century.
(3) The book serves as both a monograph and a textbook. Since the mid-1980s, I have been teaching postwar international relations history to master's students at the School of International Relations. Based on my lecture notes, I wrote this book. After its publication, it has been selected by many institutions as a textbook or reference material. From societal feedback, the book is highly valuable for students preparing for postgraduate entrance exams.
(4) The book is well-supported by data, covering the period from 1945 to mid-2003, and systematically discusses postwar international relations, including the most recent situations and materials. The writing aims to be concise and clear. Many historical events are presented in chronological order or organized in appendices to address related issues. Numbers are as far as possible presented in tables to save space and make the content easily understandable.