**spoiler alert** There is no book i have read more penetrating both in depth and breadth on the internal workings of diplomacy, geopolitics and inter**spoiler alert** There is no book i have read more penetrating both in depth and breadth on the internal workings of diplomacy, geopolitics and international relations of the last 200 years like this one.
I knew Kissinger was a genius on foreign policy during Nixon's administration, but i didn't know he was such a world caliber historian.
The book starts explaining the difference between personal interest and the national interest and invokes the case of cardinal Richelieu during the 30 years war, who, despite being a staunch catholic, he departed from his beliefs and did whatever was necessary for his country's security , adopting a strategy known as "Raison d'etat" or national interest , playing his enemies between themselves.
The book covers most of the 19 century after Napoleon's defeat with all its crises , the perennial players : Austro Hungary , Ottomans, Germany (Prussia) , Russia , UK , Italy and the intricate web of relationships and reasoning behind their leaders. Special attention is given to the buildup of events which have led to world war I , buildup which started with the Crimean War dismantling Metternich's "concert of Europe", continuing with Italy reunification and the fatal year of 1870 when France was defeated at Sedan becoming a mortal enemy of the reunified Germany, seeking from then on to envelop the latter through an Alliance with Russia.
The book then moves to the 20 century covering the interesting parts of the pre WW1 dynamics of Europe , Germany's reemergence in the interwar period and then continues for the rest of the book with USA and USSR struggle during the cold war and the crises that have shaped american way of throught and as well as foreign relations. ( Berlin Blockade , Korea War , Vietnam , NATO and EU formation). Very thorough analysis of Teddy Roosevelt , Woodrow Wilson, FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan presidencies, the rise of China to world power , and the triangle Washington-Beijing-Moscow during the Brezhnev era , the fall of USSR during Gorbachev and Reagan's tenures.
Nowadays many people see Americans as stupid and naive in their decisons , but they just didn't have experience in foreign policy, and thus lacked flexibility during the last century. They learned like all great powers that any advantage evaporates in time and there can only be so much to be done until overextension and erosion .
Americans are witnessing now in the 2020's the same thing France had after Napoleon , Britain at the end of the XIX century and USSR in the late 80s , which is exhaustion and decay, something that for me looks irreversible....That is, the juice , the energy of a nation can't flow forever and it will be interesting to see how american idealism will have to shift to national interest, to stop caring about democracy worldwide and focus on domestic issues, how USA from a superpower will become one of the many nations of the world.
I would have loved an updated version on this book covering at least the 2010 and i would definetly wanted to know what Kissinger thinks of this multipolar world that is emerging, about new blocks like BRICS and the rise of African nations.
It is funny how France has been the arch enemy of a united Germany after the Franco-Prussian war and fought 2 world wars and even after to keep it in check, to in the end decide that its power projection and significance in the world stage would depend on its relationship with her eastern neighbour in the second part of the XX century and pursuing a policy of unification and consolidation of Europe (EU).
Its also interesting to think that North Korea might have not existed if America would press forward during the Korean war to the chinese border and would have incorporated Pyongyang. We would have no Kim Jong Un now. America stopped right before xomplete victory due to fear of a Soviet intervention (which was the last thing Stalin wanted).
Same thing happened in Vietnam war, America having a phase of idealism and global interventionalism followed by its own doubts and stalemating and crumbling on itself.
Super, collosal, hollistic undertaking. A must read for anyone interested in why countries act in ways that look unreasonable and how foreign policy is dictated....more
**spoiler alert** Great book on understanding the demographics, politics and geopolitics of the Horn of Africa , the migrant routes as well as the Red**spoiler alert** Great book on understanding the demographics, politics and geopolitics of the Horn of Africa , the migrant routes as well as the Red Sea.
Eritrea with its strategic location with ports at the Red Sea, was first under the Ottomans, then used by the Italians as springboard for attacking Ethiopia as well as under British.
Eritrea has muslims in the western lowlands bordering Sudan and Christians in the mountains at the east which is also a tension generating factor.
There has always been issues with the border demarcation between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Tigray population is living in both countries. While the Tigray living in Ethiopia historically wanted more autonomy from Addis Abeba, the ones in Eritrea wanted independence. The two actors worked together until they faced off into a bloody war.
Starting with the 70's Eritrea went through a 30 year long war against Ethiopia for independence.
The central figure that emerged was Isaias Afwerki , the soon to become dictator who is still in control to this day , known to many as leading the most repressive regime in the world, a regime so repressive that it exacts a 2% tax from its diaspora all over the world, in order to keep contact with their families or be provided consulate services !
Eritrea is a country locked in a no-war ,no -peace situation where youth are conscripted to the army for indefinite periods , some serving for 20 years. Women are raped and treated as slaves. Every month thousands of Eritreans flee the country , knowing all too well that the border guards have "shoot to kill" orders.
I didn't know that approximately 25% of migrants every year flooding Europe are from Eritrea ! From 157000 illegal migrants arriving in Europe in 2015 , 39000 were Eritreans.
The book does a great job detailing how Eritreans run to Sudan , then cross to Libya , then try to take dingies and get to Greece or Italy. Or they go to Sudan and from there try to get to Sinai and into Israel.
The regime in Eritrea is a destabilizing factor in the horn of Africa , running a covert economy , financing terror groups like Al Shabaab in Somalia in order to destabilize Ethiopia , mingling in interior affairs of Sudan , and even assisting the Emirates and Saudi Arabia against the Houthis.
Despite numerous attempts by USA , Europe and China to lead the country to a better future Isaias keeps a tight leash to this day on his subjects.
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