Charles S. Maier Knihy

"One of Princeton University Press's Notable Centenary Titles"--Page 4 of cover.

Exploring the dynamics of political and economic stability in twentieth-century Western industrial societies, this collection of essays examines the ideological influences of American power on Europe post-World Wars, the economic ideologies of Nazi and fascist regimes, and their comparative achievements against liberal democracies. It also investigates the interplay between productivity, class division, and inflation, alongside the representation of interests within capitalist political economies, offering a comprehensive analysis of historical political economy.

The essays in this collection analyze the actual contribution to postwar economic and political institutions of the Marshall Plan, shifting their attention away from its ideological role, which had been the subject of earlier research on the Recovery Program. These studies seek to measure the effect of that plan in terms of investment, growth, and production, replacing the earlier stress on political conflict with the more recent focus on the struggle for modernization motivated by a transnational vision of productivity, exchange, and economic integration. These essays also incorporate the results of examinations of newly opened archives and records.

Contemporary America, with its unparalleled armaments and ambition, seems to many commentators an empire. Others angrily reject the designation. This book addresses these issues in light of the history of empires since antiquity and examines the structure and impact of these states and asks whether the US shares their traits and behaviour.

Against the backdrop of the sudden and unexpected fall of communism, Harvard history teacher Charles Maier traces the demise of East Germany". . . . an historian whose writing talks both to political scientists and to lay readers . . . combines probing historical examination with disciplined and informed political analysis".Richard H. Ullman, Princeton Universtiy.

In The Unmasterable Past, Charles Maier writes that controversy regarding German national history and identity substituted for constitutional debate at at the time of German reunification

At a time when the technologies of globalization are eroding barriers to communication, transportation, and trade, Charles Maier explores the fitful evolution of territories politically bounded regions whose borders define the jurisdiction of laws and the movement of peoples as a worldwide practice of human societies.

The book examines a critical topic in the disciplining of forces for change: how political and economic elites retained their power following world war, economic dislocation, and domestic turmoil—stresses that seem to make social leveling inevitable. Charles S. Maier uses a comparative approach to study this phenomenon as it occurred in France, Germany, and Italy in the decade after World War I.The author concentrates on those disputes through which the basic distribution of power wee contested or exposed: conflicts over nationalization, taxes. and inflation; relations between capital and labor; reparation quarrels, tariff negotiations; and parliamentary elections. He finds that although existing elites were compelled to share their power with new leaders, much of the traditional European class structure was preserved and the capitalist system remained intact through a major evolution away from classical parliamentarianism toward patterns of interest group representation.The conclusion of the book suggests that this system of stability, despite its interruption by the Depression, Nazism, and World War II, anticipated political solutions achieved after 1945.

Focusing on the institutions that influenced politics and societies throughout the long twentieth century, the narrative explores project-states with democratic or authoritarian ideologies, the role of capital, and the impact of advocates for apolitical values like health and human rights. This examination reveals the complexities of our current era and the historical forces that have shaped contemporary challenges.

Focusing on the political landscape of Europe since the 1960s, this investigation offers fresh insights into the dynamics of advanced industrial economies. It explores the interplay between political developments and economic structures, shedding light on how these factors have shaped contemporary European society. Through a detailed analysis, the book reveals the complexities and transformations that have occurred over decades, providing a nuanced understanding of the region's political evolution.