In his last work before his death in 2014, American historian Martin J. Sklar analyzes the influence of early twentieth-century foreign policy makers, focusing on modernization, global development, and the meaning of the 'American Century'. Calling this group of government officials and their advisors, including business leaders and economists, the 'founders of US foreign policy', Sklar examines their perspective on America's role in shaping human progress from cycles of empires to transnational post-imperialism. Sklar traces how this thinking both anticipated and generated the course of history from the Spanish-American War to World War II, through the Cold War and its outcome, and to post-9/11 global conflicts. The 'founders' legacy is interpreted in Wilson's Fourteen Points, Henry Luce's 1941 'American Century' Life editorial, and foreign policy formulation to the present. Showing how modernization has evolved, Sklar discusses capitalism and socialism in relation to modern democracy in the US and to emergent globalizing forces.
Preface; Part I. Origins: 1. The Philippines, China, and US global objects (the conant factor); 2. A panel at the AEA; Part II. THE FOUNDERS' AMERICAN CENTURY: THE TALE ONCE-Told: 3. World history: evolving cycles of empires; 4. US history: in the evolving cycle; 5. 20th-Century world politics and the US role: moving beyond the cycle to universal evolution; Part III. HISTORY'S AMERICAN CENTURY: THE TALE TWICE-Told: 6. 1898 to 1941: American century-birth and awkward youth; 7. World War and Cold War: American century - young adulthood; 8. Post-Cold War and 9/11: American century arrived; 9. American century fulfilled and revoked, or nullified: from empires to a universal humanity? Or, cycles forever?; Part IV. Bringing History Back In: 10. History in the US, the US in history.
