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A masterly synthesis of the history of the contemporary world, The World Since 1945 offers the ideal introduction to the events of the period between the end of the Second World War and the present day. P. M. H. Bell and Mark Gilbert balance a clear narrative with in-depth analysis to guide the reader through the aftermath of the Second World War, the Cold War, decolonization, Detente and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, up to the on-going ethnic strife and political instability of the 21st century.

The new edition has been thoroughly revised to fully reflect developments in the history and historiography of the post-war world, and features five new chapters on the post-Cold War world, covering topics including:
- The rise and fall of American hegemony
- The decline of Europe
- The rise of Asia
- Political Islam as a global force
- The role of human rights

The World Since 1945 challenges us to better understand what happened and why in the post-war period and shows the ways in which the past continues to exercise a profound influence on the present. It is essential reading for any student of contemporary history. The text is punctuated with pithy judgments about historical actors ... Crisp writing of this sort retains the reader's attention, whether undergraduates or old hands. The text's broad geographic range also offers unexpected rewards. I, admittedly not an African specialist, was especially struck by the detailed coverage of the Western Sahara dispute between Mauritania and Morocco, as well as Libyan and French involvement in Chad's civil wars. * Journal of Modern History * The literature on international history since 1945 has become so vast and elaborate during the past decades that we badly need a compact survey of the kind that Philip Bell and Mark Gilbert provide. This consistently reliable and highly readable book will help readers to understand the main events that shaped the world we live in today. * Kiran Klaus Patel, Maastricht University, the Netherlands * The authors of the second edition of The World since 1945 have done readers a great service. Out of the complicated history of our times, they have produced an impressively streamlined and accessible account. It is recommended for anyone wishing to understand more about the forces that produced today's world. * Mary Elise Sarotte, University of Southern California Dornsife, USA * There could be no better person than Mark Gilbert to help revise and bring up to date Philip Bell's classic account of post-1945 international history. The book's elegance of style, thematic coherence and mastery of the issues are all maintained, making it an essential purchase for students and specialists alike. * Christopher Hill, University of Cambridge, UK *

The World Since 1945: An International History

List of Maps

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Prologue: A New Era in International Politics

1. The Second World War and its consequences

2. The beginning of the post-war world

The Cold War, 1945-1962

3. The antagonists

4. From Potsdam to the Marshall Plan, 1945-47

5. From the Prague Coup to the North Atlantic Treaty, 1948-49

6. From Korea to Hungary, 1949-1956

7. The Berlin and Cuba Crises, 1957-1962

Reflection: The Cold War in its early phases

Decolonization and Wars of Succession, 1945-1960s

8. The Middle East, 1945-c. 1962

9. Transformation in Asia, 1945-1962

10. The New Africa

11. The Bandung Conference, 1955 and Non-alignment

12. Latin America Contested, 1945-1973

Reflection: The 'Third World'

The Cold War: Detente

13. The Cold War and Detente, 1963-1969

14. The high tide of detente, 1969-1975

15. The end of detente, 1976-1980

Reflection: The essence of detente

The Changing World Order, 1960s-1990s

16. The Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1963-1982

17. The Geopolitics of Oil, 1973-91

18. The Rise of Asia, c.1962-1990s

19. Turmoil in Africa, c.1962-1990s

20. Latin America in World Affairs, 1970s-1990s

Reflection: Where is Europe?

The Ending of the Cold War

21. Renewed Cold War, 1980-85

22. Gorbachev and Reagan, 1985-88

23. Three years that shook the world, 1989-91

Reflection: The Cold War in Retrospect

After the Cold War

24. Global Issues

25. Nationalism, Political Conflict, and War in Europe

26. The Wounded Hegemon

27. Democracy and Human Rights

Further reading

Index