The return of history: the liberal world order in retreat

The West's 1991 triumph in the Cold War was billed as "The End of History". The thirty years since have been unique. In a world completely dominated by the US, traditional great power competition virtually ceased. The international system devoted itself to multilateral cooperation, economic globalisation, and the spread of democracy and human rights. But history is now visibly coming back. Rival powers - China and Russia particularly - are challenging US dominance. The international community is struggling to tackle such overarching problems as climate change, nuclear proliferation and the pandemic. Democracy and respect for human rights are in retreat. This course will look at these challenges and ask where the World Order is now headed..

We have been living through a unique moment in international affairs. Through most of human history the world has in effect been a jungle in which nation states have competed and fought with very few constraining rules. The carnage this produced, notably in the first half of the Twentieth Century, led to increasing pressure for a more rules based international system in which disputes were resolved through law and discussion rather than war. This was apparently achieved at the end of the Cold War which left a single dominant power the United States presiding over and enforcing the “Liberal International Order” in which states conducted their relations through a dense web of international organisations and rules, rather than force. For most students of this course this is the only system of international organisation they will have known. But it is now breaking down.

Challengers to US dominance such as China and Russia are emerging. Some parts of the world, notably the Middle East, have remained anarchic and conflict ridden. The Liberal Order is failing adequately to address key global challenges such as climate change and the coronavirus. And the United States itself is pulling back from the pivotal role it has played. This course looks at the evolution of the Liberal Order, the key challenges to it, and asks whether we are now headed back to the jungle.

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes for this course are:

• Understanding of the big forces driving the evolution of world politics over the next few years  
• Placing international political developments in context, and judging their likely implications for students’ own nations and communities  
• Bringing an informed understanding of the state of the world to students’ own public and private involvements 

Classes

1. The Rise of the Liberal Order: We look at the evolution of the international system in its classical form of unfettered state sovereignty and the various efforts through history to limit this. These culminate at the end of the Cold War with the establishment of the US as sole superpower, the very fast rise of globalisation, multilateral governance, and the spread of democracy and human rights. What follows however is populism, the 2008 financial crash and the rise of challengers in the form of China and Russia  

2. China: We look at China in history, for a long time dominant in East Asia and the world’s largest economy until brought low by Western intervention in the “Century of Humiliation” and then Mao’s catastrophic rule. But then, following Mao’s death, very fast economic growth and increasing political assertiveness to the point where China is now the major challenger to US global dominance with the real prospect of a “New Cold War”.  

3. Russia: We look at Russia’s special role in European history leading to the post-Cold War collapse, national anarchy and the rise of Putin; his resentment at what he sees as Western interference and hostility, culminating in military interventions in Georgia, Ukraine and Syria. Relations with the West are now in deep freeze, and Russia is growing increasingly close to China.  

4. Global Challenges: We look at how well the international system has responded to two of the big challenges facing mankind as a whole. Climate change poses a huge threat to the sustainability of mankind’s current way of life. And the COVID pandemic has been a demanding test of the ability of countries to cooperate to meet a global medical emergency.  

5. The Sheriff Hands in his Star: We summarise previous lectures and note the threats to the Liberal World Order posed by the US itself, notably under President Trump – rejection of multilateral governance, humiliation of allies, nationalistic response to global challenges, in particular the virus, and growing confrontation with China. How much difference is Biden making? 

Typical week: Monday to Friday

For each week of study you select a morning (Am) and an afternoon (Pm) course, each course has five sessions, one each day Monday to Friday. The maximum class size is 25 students. Your weekly courses are complemented by a series of two daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to the learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.

Evaluation and Academic Credit 

If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses. 

Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £65 per essay.

For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit.

Certificate of attendance

A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically within a week of your courses finishing.