ABSTRACT
The period from 1914 to the present offers two main narratives, each of which pose problems for analysis: first, developments in Western and Soviet war-making; and second the world question, the shifting control of much of the world and its people, particularly the fall of the European colonial empires. Traditionally, the focus has been on the first, very much approached in terms of the quality and quantity of resources. Indeed, the boast voiced in Sergio Leone’s film A Fistful of Dollars that is quoted above – one, in the event, thwarted by the ingenuity of the character played by Clint Eastwood – sums up the dominant impression. As far as the bulk of the world’s population is concerned, however, the second narrative is more important.
