Mobilizing the past : the lessons of history and the danger of war between China and the United States / Steve Chan.

Author/creator Chan, Steve author.
Format Book
PublicationStanford, California : Stanford University Press, [2025]
Description263 pages 24 cm
Subjects

Contents The origin of the Peloponnesian War -- The causes of the two World Wars -- The lesson of Munich, U.S. intervention in Korea, and Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor -- The reasons for the peaceful Anglo-American power transition -- The parallels between the Cuban Missile Crisis and contest over Taiwan -- The Falklands/Malvinas conflict and lessons for Taiwan -- Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow? -- The Suez crisis, Mayaguez affairs, and other historical legacies -- Discourse on China's rise and the problem with selective history.
Abstract "Historical analogies are often utilized to frame and formulate foreign policies, illuminate issues of war and peace, and mobilize support for particular political programs. The historical record, however, can be distorted in a variety of ways, leading to overly simplistic, misleading conclusions that impair sound policy and scholarship. This danger is most imminent and palpable when there exists premature academic consensus, pressure to conform to political orthodoxy, intellectual complacency, and cognitive resistance to alternate interpretations of historical episodes. We must be especially vigilant to guard against these pitfalls when deliberating one of the most high-stakes topics in global politics: the alarming potential for military conflict between the United States and China. Past precedents and parallels regularly inform analyses of China's relations with the US. By highlighting serious errors of commission or omission in popular narratives and scholarly studies concerning international relations in general and Sino-American relations in particular, Steve Chan challenges commonly accepted "lessons of history" and cautions against the misuse and misunderstanding of the past in examining China's rise and its implications for international peace and stability. This far-reaching book presents alternative, overlooked historical accounts that are highly pertinent to Sino-American relations today, making it essential for researchers and students of international affairs"-- Provided by publisher.
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and index.
Issued in other formOnline version http://id.loc.gov/entities/relationships/onlineversion Chan, Steve Mobilizing the past Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, [2025] 9781503643796 9781503643642 9781503643789
LCCN 2024055982
ISBN9781503643789
ISBN9781503643642 cloth
ISBN1503643646
ISBN1503643786
ISBNebook

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