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The vulnerability of empire
America's quagmire in Vietnam, France's preoccupation with overseas empire, Japan's attack on the United States, Germany's aggression in Europe, Britain's appeasement of Hitler - what motivated these bouts of self-defeating behavior? According to Charles A. Kupchan, all of these episodes are rooted in a common strategic logic. Building on extensive archival research, Kupchan offers a bold new explanation for the rise and fall of modern empires, focusing on the extremist policies that contribute to their demise. Kupchan provides detailed accounts of the imperial careers of Britain, France, Japan, Germany, and the United States. At times, he shows, each of these states responded to changes in the international distribution of power by pursuing reasoned strategies that enhanced its prosperity and security. At other times, however, they all engaged in bouts of self-defeating extremism....
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