ABSTRACT
American foreign policy from the end of the Cold War to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, was conditioned by a massive and comprehensive imbalance of power in the United States’ favor. Starting in the 1970s, the United States and its economically advanced allies benefitted from changes in both global production and international finance. Capital was now freer than ever to find the investment opportunities that became abundant as a wave of American-led deregulation fueled innovation and growth in critical sectors. The transformations in production, finance, and military power bolstered America’s material capabilities. The opening of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 began a process that culminated on October 3, 1990, with the peaceful reunification of Germany. Between spring 1992 and spring 1995, fighting among Bosnia’s Serb, Croat, and Muslim communities resulted in a staggering loss of life.
