ABSTRACT
Not only did the Soviet Union’s withdrawal from world affairs relieve the pressure that had been distorting American political life, but it left the USA with an opportunity to redirect the course of international politics. Seldom has Fortuna favoured any republic with a more docile countenance than the one she presented to the United States in the 1990s. Nevertheless, American leaders continued to come under pressure to adopt middle courses in foreign affairs, and continued to suffer the consequences Machiavelli would have predicted. America’s experiences with allies and international organizations also conformed to Machiavelli’s predictions. For these reasons, as the decade proceeded, American policy makers found unilateralism increasingly attractive.
