Why is the Liberal International Order unraveling – and will this lead to global disorder? Broken Cycle explores this urgent question by viewing international politics through a dynamic lens focused on the rise and fall of great powers – whose periodic global wars determine who rules and which ideas and values prevail in the reordered international system. Randall L. Schweller uncovers recurring patterns of change, offering a framework to anticipate the contours of the emerging world. Rather than tracking short-term diplomatic shifts, this book seeks the deeper rhythms of history – cycles of growth, expansion, and decline – that shape international politics over centuries. These patterns are not inevitable, but they are powerful. By understanding them, we gain insight into the forces driving today's dissent – and tomorrow's possibilities. This is a study of the structural forces that govern change, the crises that break the old order, and the ideas that rise in its place.

‘Randall Schweller's Broken Cycle is a masterwork of international relations theory that not only helps explain centuries of international history but sheds important light on the turbulence in contemporary international politics. Innovative, pointed, and controversial, this book will foster debate for many years to come.'

Thomas J. Christensen - James T. Shotwell Professor, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs and Pritzker Chair, Center for Strategic and International Studies

‘Randall Schweller is one of the most creative international relations thinkers on the planet. He is at his best in Broken Cycle, where he provides an intriguing explanation for why there is so much disorder in the world and why he thinks it is no longer possible to create stable orders that look like those that existed in the past. Even if you disagree with Schweller's analysis, you will learn a lot from his new book.'

John J. Mearsheimer - R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago

‘Schweller masterfully explains the tragically repetitive cycles of hegemonic domination, rising rivalry, and international war that have driven world politics for centuries, but then surprises us by showing how the world is now set up for a ‘relaxed balance of power.' For those who find the Trump era bewildering, Schweller systematically and plausibly uses the full set of concepts in his historically grounded theory to analyze the decentralized forces that are now primed to promote a stable international equilibrium. Both timely and timeless, Broken Cycle is built on a sophisticated view of power politics that encompasses the role of social purpose, systemic rules, and nationalism.'

Jack Snyder - Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Relations, Columbia University