Muneeb iqbal

World Order

Book Review
The author of this book, Henry Alfred Kissinger is an American politician, diplomat, and
geopolitical consultant who has served as United States Secretary of State and National Security
Advisor. Kissinger has played a prominent role in the foreign policy of US between 1969 and
1977, having contributed in relations with China, the policy of détente and shuttle diplomacy in
Middle East. He has also infamously received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for negotiating
ceasefire in the Vietnam War. Kissinger is criticized for his involvement in controversial US
policies in Chilean military coup of 1973, Argentina’s Dirty War and Pakistan’s involvement in
Bangladesh War. He yet remains a polarizing figure in American politics, disapproved on one
side as a war criminal and acclaimed, on the other hand as an effective U.S. Secretary of State.

In this book, World Order, Kissinger provides an important and fundamental basis for
understanding the concepts of previous and contemporary world orders. The author's objective is
to give readers a profound understanding of the basis of global anarchy, on the one hand, and
international harmony, on the other. Since Henry Kissinger has extensive knowledge and
experience in policymaking, travel and diplomacy, he presents his critical analysis of the main
challenges of the 21st century as an author. This book therefore informs us about the challenges
affecting the global structure. The contemporary challenges mentioned in the book include:
violent conflicts, ideological extremism, the proliferation of technology and, most importantly,
the creation of a common global order in the existence of historical divergences.

The book covers most parts of the world with the exception of Latin America. It focuses
specifically on four different concepts of "world order"; the European, Islamic, Asian and
American. According to the author, no real and absolute world order has ever existed. He argues
that in the past centuries, the various civilizations have shaped their own vision of world orders
based on their own general perceptions and views. Since ethnocentrism has long been prevalent
in the world, the civilizations of the past have always regarded themselves as the center of the
world. In addition, past civilizations have always regarded their distinct principles as universal in
nature, extending from this concept.
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Introduction: The Question of World Order

Kissinger claims there was never a true "world order." According to him, civilizations defined
their own concepts of order for most of human history and each one considered him the center of
the world. He claims, however, that the true "world order" requires civilizations to engage. From
his viewpoint, they are not meant to clash. In response to the final form of Fukuyama's thesis of
the human government, however, Kissinger argues that “Each region participates in high policy
issues in each other, often instantaneously. However, the key players do not agree on the rules
and limits that guide this process or its ultimate goal. The result is tension mounting. "

Chapter #1: Europe: The Pluralistic International Order

The chapter starts from the fall of Roman rule giving birth to the Dark ages and how Europe then
fell into a more pluralistic rule within. The Roman Empire, which considered itself the center of
the world, defined the world order on the continent of Europe. After its disintegration, there was
another world order that revolved around the balance of the world's sovereign nations. Then in
this concept, Kissinger pays homage to Westphalia's peace. According to him the Westphalian
concepts are contemporarily defamed as a manipulative process by the global elites to serve their
own interest, yet he argues that the structure established should be venerated as the first ever
attempt to “institutionalize an international order” that was based on assortment of power rather
than a power center.

Chapter #2: The European Balance of Power System and Its End

In the second chapter of the book, Kissinger speaks of the power play within Europe that helped
predict the world order at the time, since Europe remained a significant part of the international
hierarchy. Starting with the Russian dynamics focused on the Czars. Russia was a power hard to
ignore amassing half of Europe and much of Asia. Then he takes us down history
chronologically, touching along the way the tensions within finally to the two World Wars and
the scenario postwar.

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Chapter #3: Islamism and the Middle East: A World in Disorder

The next concept is the system of Islam. From the perspective of the mission of Islam, the book
deals with the Islamic world order from the Prophet Muhammad era to the present day. Kissinger
argues that the mission of the Islamic Civilization was built on Khalifa's principles, which
advocated the spread of harmony throughout the world through the spread of the Islamic religion
and to incorporate dar al- harb (lands beyond the conquered regions) into its own world order
and thus bring universal peace. Starting the chapter with the system of the Ottoman Empire to
the fall and how the Islamic World assimilated to the Westphalian system. Taking the readers
through the events in Egypt, the Arab Spring, Saudi Arabia and the issue of Palestine.

Chapter #4: The United States and Iran: Approaches to Order

Starting the chapter with Khamenei’s statement calling the Arab Spring an “Islamic
Awakening”, Kissinger sets the tone for the entire chapter as Iran and the US as two polarized
concepts. While applauding Iranian nationalism, the author labels the pre revolution regime as
“radical”. He then elaborates on the revolution and post regime, and the flip in relations,
highlighting the main area of tension being Iranian nuclear activity.

Chapter #5: The Multiplicity of Asia

This chapter is an Asian understanding of the balance of power, which is considered from three
different perspectives (Japan, India and China). While Kissinger acknowledges that no Asian
language had a word for "Asia" until the arrival of the modern Western powers, he also points
out that the term "Asia" attributes a deceptive coherence to a disparate region. In this connection,
he stresses that the European historical order was self- contained, although the contemporary
Asian order includes external powers as an integral feature.

Chapter #6: Towards an Asian Order: Confrontation or Partnership?

This chapter introduces China into the Asian structure, which, with its global cultural hierarchy,
puts the emperor at the top of the table and expects the world to adhere to its essential principles.
Kissinger then goes on to compare US and China stating that the both are “indispensable pillars
of world order”.

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Chapter #7: “Acting for All Mankind”: The United States and Its Concept of
Order

The last concept of Kissinger's world order is the American order. With regard to this concept, he
argues that the liberal international order that the United States has been building and defending
for generations seems to be under pressure from every quarter. He elaborates on the two
dominating American viewpoints; republican and democrats, endorsed by Theodore Roosevelt
and Winston Churchill respectively.

Chapter #8: The United States: Ambivalent Superpower

In this chapter Kissinger argues that no country has played such a crucial role in shaping
contemporary world order as the United States. He starts his argument off with the role of US in
the Cold War and its involvement in several areas like the Korean War, Vietnam War,
Afghanistan War and Iraq War, advocating the crucial American role.

Chapter #9: Technology, Equilibrium, and Human

Here Kissinger argues that like how every era has a set of defining beliefs, this era has science
and technology as our governing concepts. Technology has revolutionized the dynamics of the
world in every sense, giving rise to a new age; the Nuclear Age. This age has shifted its
strategies from physical to informational warfare.

Conclusion: World Order in Our Time?

In conclusion, the author states that international affairs and politics take place at a global level
in the contemporary era, and that the previous concepts of a world order are now coming
together to create a mixture. All regions of the world are now involved in high policy issues. The
problem, however, is that there is still no consensus among the world's leading players to form a
common world order. This is therefore the main cause of tension in the world.

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All in all, the book was very detailed and thoroughly written, exceptionally covering every
historical detail of the events. However, it would be naive to expect the 56th Secretary of State to
do an impartial job. If you do, the first paragraph in the book will awaken you. The following
paragraph shows the reader what this book of 432 pages is all about: In 1961, as a young
academic, I called on President Harry S. Truman when I found myself in Kansas City delivering
a speech. To the question of what in his presidency had made him most proud, Truman replied,
“That we totally defeated our enemies and then brought them back to the community of nations.
I would like to think that only America would have done this.”

Kissinger briefly guides readers through critical episodes of recent world history and analyzes
the various concepts of world order. The language of the book is proof of the prejudice of the
writing like calling Russia absolutist, Iran radical and every now and then projecting “American
savior” sentiments, not providing the other side of the coin while assessing the several
controversial American involvements throughout major world events. In addition, the book
addresses the problems that exist instead of proposing solutions. In this sense, it would be logical
to argue that Kissinger suggests with his book that the US should lead the "world order" by
assuming hegemony, since it is the only country that can fulfill this duty. Some people would
find this book brilliant from this perspective. It should not be forgotten, however, that it was
written under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford by a National Security Advisor and Secretary of
State and embraces a particular way of understanding and thinking.

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