The Origin And Prevention Of Major Wars

Studies in Interdisciplinary History

by Robert I. Rotberg (Editor), Robert Gilpin (Contributor), John F. Guilmartin Jr. (Contributor)

Since the development of the modern state system in Europe four centuries ago, there have been ten general wars involving a majority of the major powers and a high level of casualties. Another major war is difficult to conceive of, since it would presumably be the last such conflict, and yet it is not an impossibility. In this volume a distinguished group of political scientists and historians examine the origins of major wars and discuss the problems in preventing a nuclear war.

Genres: Political Science, Nonfiction, International Relations, War, History

360 pages, Hardcover

First published February 24, 1989

About the author

Robert Irwin Rotberg is an American academic who served as President of the World Peace Foundation (1993–2010). A professor in governance and foreign affairs, he was director of the Program on Intrastate Conflict, Conflict Prevention, and Conflict Resolution at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government (1999–2010), and has served in administrative positions at Tufts University and Lafayette College.

Reviews

[Mike Harper]

This series of articles is interesting insofar as it exposes various theories held by political scientists and historians. Read it if you have a deep interest in the subject matter; otherwise, leave it to the political scientists and their upper-level students.

[effie allison]

read for a class about war. hard to get through in parts, but overall some really cool ideas and i enjoyed most of the peices. :)