Daniel Brower – författare

Explores major political and economic changes of the 20th century

The World in the Twentieth Century, 7/e, discusses the major political and economic changes that have reshaped global relations. The central theme of the book is that the most profound transformation of the 20th century was the emergence of nation-states in place of disintegrating empires.

Three main subjects help to interpret the forces of global change: the international history of the nation-states; the role of ideology in shaping political and cultural movements and social values; and the evolution of world economic relations.

The central argument of this book is that the half-century of Russian rule in Central Asia was shaped by traditions of authoritarian rule, by Russian national interests, and by a civic reform agenda that brought to Turkestan the principles that informed Alexander II's reform policies. This civilizing mission sought to lay the foundations for a rejuvenated, 'modern' empire, unified by imperial citizenship, patriotism, and a shared secular culture. Evidence for Brower's thesis is drawn from major archives in Uzbekistan and Russia. Use of these records permitted him to develop the first interpretation, either in Russian or Western literature, of Russian colonialism in Turkestan that draws on the extensive archival evidence of policy-making, imperial objectives, and relations with subject peoples.