Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides an account of the rise and fall of the liberal world order since its inception in the early twentieth century, notably its achievements and failures after 1989 but also its wider roots in liberalism’s tendency towards a hegemonic sphere of influence and even imperialism. It offers an analysis of the contemporary backlash against liberalism and its ideological drivers – in particular the failure of liberal progressivism and identity politics but also the rival ideology of nationalist traditionalism, which can be found in Trumpism as well as in the illiberal non-West. The book then charts the competition for hegemony between rival forces, including the civilisational-states of China and Russia, which are based on a claim to embody unique cultural, ethnic and familial relationships that encompass communities both at home and abroad.