Dean Rusk: Defending the American Mission Abroad (Biographies in American Foreign Policy) - Softcover

Thomas W. Zeiler

Softcover

ISBN 10: 084202686X ISBN 13: 9780842026864

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (UK), 1999

Synopsis

Dean Rusk compared his position as secretary of state in the 1960s to a soldier in a foxhole, defending America against the communist alliance. Author Thomas W. Zeiler writes that the foxhole really represented the universalist ideals Rusk cherished, beliefs that were overrun by the Cold War, by the realism of the two presidents he served, and ultimately by the Vietnam War. With an eye closely on Rusks liberal internationalism, Dean Rusk uses the secretary of state as a foil to explain to students the accomplishments of United States leadership in the world and the pitfalls the nation encountered due to the tensions between realpolitik and liberal ideology. Through the career of Rusk, the book reflects on the uses and abuses of predominant power in diplomacy, and interprets well-known events and issues in the comparative framework of idealism and realism. In explaining Rusks policies and decisions, it also analyzes the evolving uses and interpretations of Wilsonianism, the major ideology shaping twentieth-century American diplomacy. Dean Rusk follows the course of the Cold War, the defining international conflict of the last 50 years.

About this title

About the Author

Thomas W. Zeiler is a professor of history at the University of Colorado at Boulder where he directs the Program in International Affairs. He teaches and researches on U.S. foreign policy, diplomatic history, globalization, World War II, and sports history. Among the courses he teaches is America through Baseball. Dr. Zeiler’s books include Ambassadors in Pinstripes: The Spalding World Baseball Tour and the Birth of the American Empire (Rowman & Littlefield).

Edition details

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (UK)
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 084202686X
• ISBN 13: 9780842026864
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 235