Pax Americana
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Pax Americana[1][2][3] (Latin for "American Peace") is a term applied to the concept of relative peace in the Western Hemisphere and later the world beginning around the middle of the 20th century, thought to be caused by the preponderance of power enjoyed by the United States. Although the term finds its primary utility in the latter half of the 20th century, it has been used with different meanings and eras, such as the post-Civil War era in North America,[4] and regionally in the Americas at the start of the 20th century.
Pax Americana is primarily used in its modern connotations to refer to the peace among Great Powers established after the end of World War II in 1945, also called the Long Peace. In this modern sense, it has come to indicate the military and economic position of the United States in relation to other nations. For example, the Marshall Plan, which spent $13 billion to rebuild the economy of Western Europe, has been seen as "the launching of the Pax Americana".[5]
The Latin term derives from Pax Romana of the Roman Empire. The term is most notably associated with Pax Britannica (1815–1914) under the British Empire, which served as the global hegemon and constabulary from the late 18th century until the early 20th century.[6]
References
- ↑ Joseph S. Nye, Jr., "The Changing Nature of World Power". Political Science Quarterly, The Academy of Political Science, Vol. 105, No. 2 (Summer, 1990), pp. 177–92
- ↑ Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Philadelphia: Published by A.L. Hummel for the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 1917. "Pax Americana", George W. Kihchwey. pp. 40+.
- ↑ Abbott, Lyman, Hamilton Wright Mabie, Ernest Hamlin Abbott, and Francis Rufus Bellamy. The Outlook. New York: Outlook Co, 1898. "Expansion not Imperialism" p. 465. (cf. [...] Felix Adler [states ...] "if, instead of establishing the Pax Americana so far as our influence avails throughout this continent, we should enter into' the field of Old World strife, and seek the sort of glory that is written in human blood." Here it is assumed that we have failed in establishing self-government, and propose to substitute, at least in other lands, an Old World form of government. This sort of argument has no effect on the expansionist, because he believes that we have magnificently succeeded in our problem, in spite of failures, neglects, and violations of our own principles, and because what he wishes to do is, not to abandon the experiment, but, inspired by the successes of the past, extend the Pax Americana over lands not included in this continent.")
- ↑ Lalor, John J., Cyclopaedia of Political Science, Political Economy, and of the Political History of the United States. Chicago: Rand, McNally, 1884. "The Union", p. 959.
- ↑ Charles L. Mee, The Marshall Plan: The launching of the pax americana (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1984)
- ↑ Harper's Magazine. 1885. "The Federal Union", p. 413.
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