History

Commentary

Understanding America's Fall

Robert W. Merry | Feb 08, 2012

U.S. decline may be inevitable. But that doesn't mean there's nothing Washington can do about it.

The Perils of Militarized Diplomacy

Franz-Stefan Gady | Jan 27, 2012

As American power wanes, Washington is running out of ways to influence small European democracies.

McFaul's Costly Mistake in Russia

Andranik Migranyan | Jan 23, 2012

Why the American ambassador's meeting with the Russian opposition was in no one's best interest.

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Essays

The National Interest stands for realism in U.S. international relations, a conviction that foreign policy should be based upon real-world considerations—forces, pressures and passions emanating from factors of culture and geography.

Reviving the Peace Process

Daniel Kurtzer | Jan 04, 2012

Obama can take credit for several foreign-policy triumphs, but he has failed to revive the moribund Mideast peace process. Arguments for why it can’t be done crumble against the imperative of American presidential leadership.

Putin and the Uses of History

Fiona Hill

Clifford G. Gaddy

| Jan 04, 2012

“I do not need to prove anything to anyone,” declared Vladimir Putin. Convinced he is the steward of his country’s future, Putin masters Russia’s history—and seeks to manipulate it.

Triumph of the New Wilsonism

Nikolas K. Gvosdev

Ray Takeyh

| Jan 04, 2012

No national interest was cited as a rationale for America's Libya campaign; the action was justified solely on humanitarian grounds. This marks a fundamental break with past U.S. policy prescriptions for such military interventions.

Night Thoughts on Europe

Walter Laqueur | Oct 25, 2011

Europe’s problems go far beyond deflating currency and rising debt. It suffers from a lack of will, a crisis of confidence—and a serious identity problem. The once-great superpower has already fallen. Centuries of predominance slip away.

Chinese Nationalism and Its Discontents

Robert S. Ross | Oct 25, 2011

China must choose between kowtowing to domestic nationalism and submitting to a peaceful rise. Lately, nationalist belligerence has ruled the day. Washington is overreacting, encircling China. A latent rivalry ratchets up to dangerous levels.