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Cover of The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers

Paul M. Kennedy · 1987 · Book

A sweeping historical analysis of how economic and military strength shaped global dominance from the sixteenth century onwards. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the forces that have determined international power.

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    Explains why some nations accumulate power while others decline, extending Kennedy's framework into institutional analysis.

    Daron Acemoglu, James A. Robinson · 2012 · Book

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  2. The Tragedy of Great Power Politics

    Applies structural realism to great power competition, directly engaging with Kennedy's thesis on military-economic cycles.

    John J. Mearsheimer · 2001 · Book

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  3. The Guns of August

    Narrative history of how imperial powers stumbled into the First World War, illustrating Kennedy's argument about overextension.

    Barbara Tuchman · 1962 · Book

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  4. Guns, Germs, and Steel

    Traces how geography and resources shaped which civilisations became dominant powers across millennia.

    Jared Diamond · 1997 · Book

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