The Geostrategic Triad: Living with China, Europe, and Russia

by Zbigniew Brzeziński

According to Brzezinski, a counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a former national security advisor to the president, global stability in the early 21st century will be conditioned largely by how the US handles its relations with China, Europe, and Russia. He offers a comprehensive geostrategic road map for such US engagement, pointing to two Eurasian power triangles that must be developed as an organizing the first between the US, the EU, and Russia, and the second between the US, Japan, and China. Lacks a subject index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Genres: Politics, Ebooks, Nonfiction

88 pages, Paperback

First published December 18, 2000

About the author

Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski was a Polish-American political scientist, geostrategist, and statesman who served as United States National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981. Known for his hawkish foreign policy at a time when the Democratic Party was increasingly dovish, he is a foreign policy realist and considered by some to be the Democrats' response to Republican realist Henry Kissinger.

Major foreign policy events during his term of office included the normalization of relations with the People's Republic of China (and the severing of ties with the Republic of China), the signing of the second Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT II), the brokering of the Camp David Accords, the transition of Iran to an anti-Western Islamic state, encouraging reform in Eastern Europe, emphasizing human rights in U.S. foreign policy, the arming of the mujaheddin in Afghanistan to fight against the Soviet-friendly Afghan government, increase the probability of Soviet invasion and later entanglement in a Vietnam-style war, and later to counter the Soviet invasion, and the signing of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties relinquishing U.S. control of the Panama Canal after 1999.

He was a professor of American foreign policy at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies, a scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and a member of various boards and councils. He appeared frequently as an expert on the PBS program The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is built around the belief that America is the most capable hegemony to exert a bright domination upon the whole international system. Also, this pivotal idea is extended up to the point of entitling America as the most gifted state capable to blend morality and guidance in international terms by its democratic institutions, its power of collocate the morality and capitalism and also by its well-known military and technological supremacy.
Brzezinski’s book describes the very ending ofthe history, a world where America is replaced by a responsible ad peaceful multipolarity. On the other hand, this multipolarity itself is prone to fade because of the progressive extinction of the state and the emergencing multinational organisms capable to take over the classic governments’ tasks.

Having a very interesting mix of geopolitics and transnational liberalism, this book gives an essential overview for every American government that has to find a diplomatic code as efficient as possible to maintain the American supremacy. The main focus of the book is on the greatest Euroasian strategic players: Europe, Russia, China. There are also presented the supporting actors: Japan, India, Turkey.

The relationship with China is the first one described, since China is presumed the greatest following international hegemony. The relationship with Europe is the most important worldwide contact America has. As for Russia, the third Eurasian giant, there are many problematic aspects.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting.