World Order

Outline

World Order (2014) examines how different civilisations have understood international order and why the world struggles to agree on shared rules today. Henry Kissinger traces the European balance-of-power system that grew out of the Peace of Westphalia, and compares it with the traditions of Asia, the Middle East, and the United States. The book asks how a stable global order can be built in an age of rising powers and new technologies.

• Different civilisations have understood international order in different ways, which is one reason shared global rules are hard to agree on today.
• The European balance-of-power system grew out of the Peace of Westphalia and shaped how states dealt with one another.
• Kissinger compares the European model with the traditions of Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.
• Rising powers and new technologies make building a stable global order harder than it was in the past.

Henry Kissinger (1923–2023) was a German-born American diplomat and political scientist who served as U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser in the 1970s. He played a central role in American foreign policy during the Cold War and remained an influential voice on international affairs for decades. His books include Diplomacy, On China, World Order, and Leadership.