Description: The United States has fought wars throughout its history. But how has it attempted to shape a peaceful world in the wake of these conflicts? This volume explores the long US history of post-conflict diplomacy - from the early republic, through the aftermath of World War II, to recent global engagements. Through richly detailed essays, it examines how power, race, and individual agency shaped US efforts to rebuild relationships after war. Moving beyond simplistic narratives, the book reveals the complexity of forging peace and its unintended consequences. It highlights pivotal moments when alliances were born, rivalries transformed, and nongovernmental actors influenced outcomes as much as statespersons. Essential for scholars, policymakers, and readers seeking insight into how past strategies inform present decisions, this work reframes the diplomatic legacy of the United States and offers lessons for future interventions. Bold, comparative, and deeply researched, it illuminates the challenges - and possibilities - of building peace after conflict.
Brief description: Andrew L. Johns is Professor of History at Brigham Young University and the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies. The author or editor of seven books, he is past president of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association and received the 2025 Peter L. Hahn Distinguished Service Award.
Review Quotes: 'These cogent essays interrogate the complexities, contradictions, and legacies of post-conflict diplomacy throughout US history. Illuminating the disjuncture between professed benevolent motives and harsh realities of power and underscoring the myriad ways that the occupied challenge the occupier, this collection is essential reading for scholars of US foreign relations in an age where inattention to the long-term ramifications of waging war is especially perilous.' Laura A. Belmonte, Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and Professor of History, Virginia Tech