How the West Lost the Peace: The Great Transformation Since the Cold War

The West and the United States were seen as the sole victors of history after the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union collapsed. However, Philipp Ther's book argues that global capitalism created many losers, leading to the rise of right-wing populists and nationalists. The pandemic has further weakened the Western hegemony, and Russia's war against Ukraine has brought to a close the age of transformation that was inaugurated by the end of the Cold War.

Format: Hardback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 12 May 2023
Publisher: John Wiley and Sons Ltd

When the Berlin Wall fell and the Soviet Union crumbled, it seemed like the West, and especially the United States, had emerged as the undisputed winners of history. However, three decades later, the sense of triumph has lost its luster. What went wrong? In this follow-up to his acclaimed book on neoliberal Europe, renowned historian Philipp Ther sets out to explore this question. He argues that global capitalism has created a vast pool of losers, laying the groundwork for the rise of right-wing populists and nationalists. Ther demonstrates how the promise of prosperity and freedom failed to resonate sufficiently in Eastern Europe, despite material progress. He also shows how the West lost Russia and alienated Turkey. Furthermore, neoliberal capitalism left the world ill-equipped to handle the COVID-19 pandemic, further weakening the Western hegemony that emerged after the Cold War. The double whammy of the pandemic and the largest war in Europe since 1945 has marked the end of the transformative era that began with the collapse of the Soviet Union.

This insightful analysis of the post-1989 world will be of immense interest to anyone seeking to understand how we arrived at this juncture and the formidable challenges we now confront.

Weight: 499g
Dimension: 218 x 145 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781509550593