Pursuing Communism Abroad: Superpower Geopolitics and More Importantly the Role of the Arms Race - Annotated Bibliography Example

Topic Pursuing Communism Abroad: Superpower Geopolitics and more importantly the role of the Arms Race Introduction The development of politics worldwide has been based on a series of factors. Critical geopolitical interests are likely to be involved in most political decisions, especially in regard to the position of each country within the international community. In any case, the conflicts between countries, for increasing their power globally, are quite common. The development of superpower geopolitics for pursuing communism abroad is reviewed in this paper. Particular emphasis is given on the Arms Race, a phenomenon related mostly to the Cold War. A series of studies published in this field has been reviewed for identifying the key aspects of the issues under discussion, as described above. One of the key findings of the research developed in regard to this subject is the following one: the views of theorists and researchers on superpower geopolitics vary. In fact, contradicting assumptions are made regarding the use of geopolitics for pursuing communism abroad. However, there is a fact highlighted in all studies: the Arms Race has been initially developed in order to secure the balance in power among USA and the Soviet Union but it has been remained a key means for pressuring the international community to promote specific interests, not necessarily related to communism. Annotated Bibliography Barnouin, Barbara, and Yu, Changgen. Zhou Enlai: a political life. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press, 2006. The specific book focuses on the life of Zhou Enlai, as an important Chinese leader. The background of Zhou Enlai and his involvement in the politics of China are analytically described. Explanations are given in regard to the political thoughts of Zhou Enlai, as a revolutionary figure, as these thoughts affected the political framework of China especially in 1960s and 1970s. This book has been considered as important showing the responses of superpower geopolitics towards communism, the key political framework of modern China. At the same time, the potential influences of the political choices of Zhou Enlai by the global politics, especially the Arms Race are presented, indicating the level at which the specific initiatives have actually helped towards the control of communism worldwide, an argument used for justifying these initiatives in the context of the international community. Clark, Mary. Ariadnes thread: the search for new modes of thinking. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 1989. Clark highlights the rapid growth of technology and the continuous increase of population worldwide. Based on these facts, she developed a research in regard to a wide range of sciences, aiming to show to the readers the risks related to the management of knowledge but also to the lack of control on change. The responses of humans to violence and the use of Arms Race by certain states for strengthening their position in the international community are analytically presented. The book has been included in the references list since it provides a unique approach for understanding the superpower geopolitics and the Arms Race: instead of referring to specific political and economic interests, Clark notes that the personal attitudes of each individual are more likely to influence his decisions, even in regard to critical political decisions and initiatives. Cohen, Saul. Geopolitics of the world system. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003. The book of Cohen is quite important in order to understand the role and the structure of geopolitics worldwide, and this was the main reason that the particular book was included in the references list. The writer says that through the decades geopolitics have been highly developed, leading gradually to the elimination of geographical borders; the ability of USA to intervene in military conflicts without human losses by its side and within quite narrow time limits is used by Cohen as an indicative example to show the key characteristics of modern geopolitics. The paper of Cohen can be characterized as unique providing analytical information on geopolitics as developed in all continents. Gay, William, and Alekseeva, T. On the eve of the 21st century: perspectives of Russian and American philosophers. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 1994. Gay and Alekseeva try to explain the form and the role of interests, as involved in the development of political decisions. Reference is made in particular to the views of Russian and American philosophers in regard to the use of power for promoting specific interests worldwide. Of particular importance is the second chapter of the book, which focuses on power politics, human nature and morality. This book is differentiated from others referring to this subject at the following point: through this book effort is made so that political decisions and the exercise of power are explained by referring to particular human characteristics, an approach similar to that of Clark, as presented above. Gilbert, Alan. Must global politics constrain democracy?: great-power realism, democratic peace, and democratic internationalism. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1999. The book of Gilbert explains the relationship between democracy, realism and internationalism. In accordance with Gilbert, democracy is often opposed with realism and neorealism. On the other hand, it is noted that global politics need to follow the rules of realism, or neorealism, while the use of democracy for defining critical political decisions in the context of the international community may be not feasible. The specific book is considered as quite important highlighting a critical aspect of politics: their relationship with realism, and neorealism; at the same time, it is made clear that global politics, necessarily, often opposed to the principles of democracy, a fact that can explain the development of Arms Race worldwide. Gray, Colin. The geopolitics of super power. Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 1988. The book of Gray focuses on the various aspects of geopolitics of super power; this issue is similar with that examined in the book of Cohen, as presented above. However, Gray refers to specific aspects of geopolitics, such as their relationship with security, with culture and with military power. At this point the book of Gray is differentiated from the one of Cohen, who reviewed geopolitics in the world system, focusing on the relationship between geopolitics and geography. The book of Gray was included in the references list since it offers valuable information on geopolitics as a political strategy, and not so much as a means for the elimination of borders in military interventions, as the book of Cohen implies. In this context, ‘the containment of Soviet power, as a geopolitical necessity for the USA’ (Gray 144), is made clear. Hodge, Carl, and Nolan, Cathal. US presidents and foreign policy. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2007. Hodge and Nolan present the political decisions of US presidents, since the establishment of USA in 1789, i.e. starting with George Washington. Reviewing the initiatives that US presidents had developed in regard to power politics, it is easy to understand how geopolitics have become a key framework for serving specific political interests. At the same time, the following issue is revealed: the development of superpower geopolitics in USA has been gradual, being related to the political, social and economic characteristics of American society at each particular period of time. It is also made clear that geopolitics have been always used by USA for the promotion of its interests as member of the international community. The transformation of the country’s practices in regard to the development of geopolitics has been resulted because of the change in regard to the distribution of power worldwide. Hook, Sue. Communism. North Mankato: ABDO, 2011. The book of Hook presents the relationship between communism and Arms Race. The specific issue is not analyzed in the other sources retrieved for this study; for this reason, it was decided that the book of Hook would be included in the references list in order to help understand the role of Communism in the development of Arms Race. The provision by USA of military and economic support to Greece and Turkey in 1947 in order to control the expansion of Communism in their territory (Hook 37) is one of the examples included in the book of Hook for explaining the relationship between Communism and the Arms Race. Kesselman, Mark, Krieger, Joel, and Joseph, William. Introduction to Comparative Politics: Political Challenges and Changing Agendas. Belmont: Cengage Learning, 2009. Kesselman, Krieger and Joseph present the key aspects of politics as developed within a series of countries, which all hold a key position in the international community. Reference is made, for example to Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Russia and India. The political framework, meaning not just the political system but also the criteria used in critical political decisions, of these countries is analytically presented. Through this approach it is easy to understand the respond of each of these countries to Arms Race. At the same time, the geopolitics of each of these states is made clear. The writers use the comparative politics framework in order to identify and evaluate the key characteristics of these countries’ political initiatives. Due to the uniqueness of this approach, the specific book has been included in the references list, since it provides further explanations, along with the other sources employed in this study, in regard to the structure and the role of geopolitics worldwide. Lacey, Greg. Revise modern world history for OCR specification 1937. Oxford: Heinemann, 2002. The book of Lacey can be characterized as supplementary to the one of Kesselman, Krieger and Joseph, as presented above. Indeed, Lacey presents and explains the geopolitics of specific countries, including USA, Britain, Germany and the Soviet Union, in order to show the changes in the role and the priorities of global politics during the last decades. Of particular importance is the section 1.5 where the effectiveness of USA in ‘containing the spread of Communism’ (Lacey 40) is evaluated. The book of Lacey can be used in combination with the one of Kesselman, Krieger and Joseph for retrieving important information on specific political initiatives developed in many countries globally. In fact, the study of Lacey can be characterized as narrower than that of Kesselman, Krieger and Joseph but their content is not similar; Lacey focuses on specific political movements and decisions of USA, Russia, Germany and Britain, while Kesselman, Krieger and Joseph refer to the geopolitics of a series of countries, including those mentioned in the study of Lacey, in general. Read More