World Order

World Order, as defined by Haass, is the degree to which powerful countries share a definition of legitimate foreign policy aims and methods. It also entails the balance of power to preserve this consensus in the face of challenges.

Peace of Westphalia

The Peace of Westphalia, signed in 1648, established the first modern world order. This order was based on sovereignty, the doctrine that all states are equal, in principle, and that countries will not interfere in each other’s internal affairs.

The Cold War

The Cold War was the period between the end of WWII and the beginning of the 1990s when the United States and the Soviet Union were involved in a global competition for dominance. They engaged in a number of proxy conflicts and built large nuclear arsenals. Despite this, Haass describes the Cold War as a relatively peaceful period, because it lacked major...