Western Europe and Japan Between the Superpowers

by Wolf Mendl

Overview

First published in 1984, Western Europe and Japan Between the Superpowers is a challenging contribution to the great debate over Western security. Instead of lining up with those who favour the construction of a global alliance under American leadership or those who want neutralism or non-alignment, Wolf Mendl accepts some of the premises of both and argues for a third course.

Taking a long view, he suggests that Japan and the three major states of Western Europe should collaborate in pursuing policies which retain a basic but limited security relationship with the United States and at the same time reassure the Soviet Union that its security is not threatened, seeking to make it a partner rather than adversary in creating a more peaceful world order.

Wolf Mendl concludes his broad and reflective historical analysis of the postwar era with a discussion of the areas in which the European states and Japan could enter a fruitful collaboration; sometimes acting in parallel and sometimes together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032996332
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/01/2025
Series:	Routledge Revivals
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Wolf Mendl was a distinguished teacher in the field of international relations at Kings College, University of London for twenty-six years. He published several significant books about relations between Japan and China in the Cold War period.

Table of Contents

Introduction  1. Security in a Changing International Environment  2. The Military Dimension  3. The Alliance with the United States  4. Relations with the Soviet Union  5. Europe, Japan and the Third World  6. Europe’s and Japan’s Choices  Glossary  Appendix I: The North Atlantic Treaty (1949)  Appendix II: Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States of America and Japan (1960)

Editorial Reviews

Review of the first publication:

‘… [the author] provides a crisply written, incisively argued, study…’

— Andy Perry, Monash University

From the Publisher