After Victory

Institutions, Strategic Restraint, and the Rebuilding of Order after Major Wars, New Edition

G. John Ikenberry

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9780691169217
  9780691050904
• eBook ISBN:
  9781400880843
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Comparative Politics
• Index: Politics & International Relations

The end of the Cold War was a "big bang" reminiscent of earlier moments after major wars, such as the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the end of the world wars in 1919 and 1945. But what do states that win wars do with their newfound power, and how do they use it to build order? In After Victory, John Ikenberry examines postwar settlements in modern history, arguing that powerful countries do seek to build stable and cooperative relations, but the type of order that emerges hinges on their ability to make commitments and restrain power. He explains that only with the spread of democracy in the twentieth century and the innovative use of international institutions—both linked to the emergence of the United States as a world power—has order been created that goes beyond balance of power politics to exhibit "constitutional" characteristics. Blending comparative politics with international relations, and history with theory, After Victory will be of interest to anyone concerned with the organization of world order, the role of institutions in world politics, and the lessons of past postwar settlements for today.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication Page
• Contents
• Preface to the New Edition
• Preface (2001)
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter One: The Problem of Order
• Chapter Two: Varieties of Order: Balance of Power, Hegemonic, and Constitutional
• Chapter Three: An Institutional Theory of Order Formation
• Chapter Four: The Settlement of 1815
• Chapter Five: The Settlement of 1919
• Chapter Six: The Settlement of 1945
• Chapter Seven: After the Cold War
• Chapter Eight: Conclusion
• Appendix
• Index