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  3. The Rise and Decline of the State
  • Cited by 224
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    • Publisher:
      Cambridge University Press
      Publication date:
      26 June 2009
      26 August 1999
      ISBN:
      9780511497599
      9780521651905
      9780521656290
      DOI:
      https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511497599
      Dimensions:
      (228 x 152 mm)
      Weight & Pages:
      0.82kg, 448 Pages
      Dimensions:
      (228 x 152 mm)
      Weight & Pages:
      0.73kg, 448 Pages
      • Subjects:
      Regional and World History: General Interest, History, Politics and International Relations, Comparative Politics
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    Subjects:
    Regional and World History: General Interest, History, Politics and International Relations, Comparative Politics
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    Book description

    The state, which since the middle of the seventeenth century has been the most important and most characteristic of all modern institutions, is in decline. From Western Europe to Africa, many existing states are either combining into larger communities or falling apart. Many of their functions are being taken over by a variety of organizations which, whatever their precise nature, are not states. In this unique volume Martin van Creveld traces the story of the state from its beginnings to the present. Starting with the simplest political organizations that ever existed, he guides the reader through the origins of the state, its development, its apotheosis during the two World Wars, and its spread from its original home in Western Europe to cover the globe. In doing so, he provides a fascinating history of government from its origins to the present day.

    Reviews

    ‘ … a very readable account, [van Creveld] paints a most persuasive picture of the decline of the state and the transfer of its powers to a host of substitute guardians. It is an intellectually exciting and highly recommended book.’

    Source: Law Society Journal

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