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The Tragedy of Great Power Politics

by John J. Mearsheimer

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Available editions of The Tragedy of Great Power Politics

	9780393323962, Paperback, W W Norton & Co Inc, 2003 $13.81 (Good Condition) Other copies of 9780393323962

	9780393978391, Paperback, W W Norton & Co Inc, 2002 $13.79 (Good Condition) Other copies of 9780393978391

	9781428823648, Paperback, Academic Internet Pub Inc, 2007 $36.32 (NEW) Other copies of 9781428823648

	9780393020250, Hardcover, W W Norton & Co Inc, 2001 $14.36 (Good Condition) Other copies of 9780393020250

Publisher Notes

A decade after the end of the Cold War, both policy makers and academics foresee a new era of peace and prosperity, an era when democracy, open trade, and mutual trust will join hands to banish war from the globe. With insight worthy of THE PRINCE, John Mearsheimer exposes the truth behind this idyllic illusion: in a world where no international authority reigns above states, great powers invariably seek to gain power at each other's expense and to establish themselves as the dominant state.
Since, as Mearsheimer reminds us, nobody answers when states dial 911, they must be ready for danger from any quarter. Is my neighbor my friend? Will today's friend become tomorrow's enemy? Am I strong enough to stave off an attack? In a world where no state can be sure that others will not have hostile intentions, great powers must protect themselves by acquiring as much power as possible in case another state becomes aggressive. Herein lies the tragedy of great power politics: even states that might be content to live at peace are condemned to engage in a relentless struggle for power.
Mearsheimer's provocative theory of "offensive realism" not only explains why visions of a harmonious world remain utopian but also illuminates the different strategies that great powers use to advance their interests. He shows, for example, why great powers try to shift the burden of preserving the balance of power onto both allies and rivals, and why they often welcome wars between rival states. To support his theory, Mearsheimer unveils a comprehensive, eye-opening history of modern great powers such as Wilhelmine Germany, the Soviet Union, imperial Japan, and the United States, showing how each one sought to maximize its own power whenever favorable opportunities arose.
Readers will find more than just theory and history in these pages. Mearsheimer also reflects on the prospects for peace in Europe and Northeast Asia, the areas of primary strategic interest to the United States. He maintains that today's relative tranquillity in those regions will be but a brief interlude in the perennial struggle between great powers. In particular, he argues that the United States is destined to wage an intense and dangerous security competition with a rising China, and that attempts to prevent that conflict through a strategy of "engagement" are doomed to fail.