Free Downloads A World Restored: Metternich, Castlereagh And The Problems Of Peace, 1812-22
Years before he was Secretary of State and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Henry Kissinger wrote A World Restored to understand and explain one of history's most important and dramatic periods-a time when Europe went from political chaos to a balanced peace that lasted for almost a hundred years. After the fall of Napoleon, European diplomats gathered in a festive Vienna with the task of restoring stability following the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. The central figures at the Congress of Vienna were the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Viscount Castlereagh and the Foreign Minister of Austria Klemens Wenzel von Mettern Metternich. Castlereagh was primarily concerned with maintaining balanced powers, while Metternich based his diplomacy on the idea of legitimacy-that is, establishing and working with governments that citizens accept without force. The peace they brokered lasted until the outbreak of World War I. Through trenchant analysis of the history and forces that create stability, A World Restored gives insight into how to create long-lasting geopolitical peace-lessons that Kissinger saw as applicable to the period immediately following World War II, when he was writing this book. But the lessons don't stop there. Like all good insights, the book's wisdom transcends any single political period. Kissinger's understanding of coalitions and balance of power can be applied to personal and professional situations, such as dealing with a tyrannical boss or coworker or formulating business or organizational tactics. Regardless of his ideology, Henry Kissinger has had an important impact on modern politics and few would dispute his brilliance as a strategist. For anyone interested in Western history, the tactics of diplomacy, or political strategy, this volume will provide deep understanding of a pivotal time.
Paperback: 376 pages
Publisher: Echo Point Books & Media (June 20, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626549788
ISBN-13: 978-1626549784
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #148,399 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #64 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Specific Topics > War & Peace #296 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > European #2152 in Books > History > Europe
This book lives up to and exceeds all expectations. Kissinger shows us in great detail what his Balance of Power Doctrine is based upon by showing the great diplomat Metternich in all his glory, when the Concert of Europe truly began and the world was restored. Whether you are dealing with Napoleon, Hitler, Stalin, or a tyrannical boss at work, this work contains insights which transcend the period of study. Kissenger basically discusses the problems and politics of building a coalition, proving a tyrant to be a tyrant, and finally how to construct a political enduring peace.I recommend the book whole-heartedly. His writing is insightful, full of preternatural wisdom and of enduring value. I especially liked how he dissected the personalities of the actors in this play, Napoleon, Metternich, Castlereagh, and Talleyrand, and the manner in which he highlights that those personalities influenced the course of history. You will come away with a deep understanding of politics at all levels and also why Kissinger dominated the diplomacy of his period.
Excellent book that is hard to find and one that should never go out of print. This book first came out in the early 1960's and sadly was not reprinted until the early part of the 21st century and it is now out of print once again. The world of Metternich and Castlereagh was one of finding peace, keeping your country strong while keeping the young aristocrats and military professionals from starting wars. Bismark ran into much the same problems when he was Chancellor of Prussia. The key to Metternich, Castlereagh and Bismark was diplomacy based on strength and cunning. When those that came after them saw diplomacy as weakness and opted for war, then eventually their empires came to an end. We saw the same problems in the Bush 43 administration; hence two wars that contiune to drain the economy and deplete the nation of young men and women who go off to war and die or are injured, not to mention the strained relations around the world. The outcome is a weakening of the nation state and eventual ruin. The empires of Britian, Austria and Prussia all ceased to exist when they threw diplomacy to the wind. Can the US escape the same circumstances by rebuilding diplomacy while maintining our military strength but not using it to go to war? Much like Sun Tzu's 'Art of War,' Kissinger's 'The World Restored' should be read by politicans, military professionals, business folks and the general populace at large. Democracy is based on conversation and no better way to have a conversation about history and diplomacy then by reading and discussing 'The World Restored.' Kissingers later book on Diplomacy pales in comparison to what is discussed in 'The World Restored.'
Henry Kissinger's "A World Restored: Metternich, Castlereagh and the Problems of Peace 1812-22" is not for just anyone interested in that period of history. I read about a fourth of Kissinger's "White House Years" ("W H Y"), and loved his writing and clear thinking in that book (the book was destroyed in a fire). But it was apparently written long after "A World Restored" was written, because the excellent writing in "W H Y" didn't exist in his earlier book. In "W H Y", I could just follow his thoughts and not have to re-order or evaluate them to fully understand (and appreciate them). BUT, in "A World Restored", I had to constantly mull over sentences to get what he was trying to say. So this book is for very intelligent readers who already have a good grasp of the historical situation. Kissinger delves deeply here, but with inadequate writing skills, in my opinion. I'm reminded of what I decided was the difference between me and the truly brilliant students at Stanford. They could intuit what the professor was trying to say, but I could only get what he was actually saying.
This is a classic, of course. Elegantly written, insightful, philosophically sophisticated, with a lot of insight for those who want to understand international relations. Castlereagh simply wanted to maintain a balance of power in Europe following the Napoleonic Wars in order to facilitate Britain's security. Metternich, representing an Austria that was in the center of Europe and could not simply seek a discrete balance, wanted a conservative social contract at a time when the forces of nationalism were ultimately destined to sunder the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They wanted the same thing for different reasons. Castlereagh, dealing with resistance from his own Parliament, wanted a realpolitical solution. Metternich, the ultimate practitioner of "Machtpolitik," understood nonetheless the importance of ideas and ideology. I bought and read the paperback edition of A World Restored more than thirty years ago. I bought the hardback so that I could read it again without having to physically hold the book together. A necessary read for those truly interested in international relations.
This book was intended to be the first volume in a series that went up to WWI, but for obvious reasons Dr. Kissinger never finished the series. Many people have read this book and asserted that Metternich and Co. offered Kissinger his diplomatic roots, when in fact this is wrong. Do not read this book to understand Kissinger, read it to understand an often misunderstood era in history. Kissinger understood it better than anyone.
amazing the amount of research that has gone into this book.
A masterpiece. A great thinker, a great writer, a great story. Withsome stuff by SE Morison, this is the best history I read this year.
The book was in excellent shape. One of the best cost/benefit relations in my life!
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