"The Iraq war was a multiple assault on the foundations and rules of the existing UN-centered world order. It called into question the adequacy of the existing institutions for articulating global norms and enforcing compliance with the demands of the international community. It highlighted also...

Financial crises precede deep and prolonged recessions. Political leaders face enormous challenges when confronting such dire economic situation, and they frequently have to face the possibility of losing power. In order to avoid this outcome, democratic and autocratic leaders may use war as a...

1. 'Destruction ... and misery' : the First World War -- 2. The Great Depression, 1929-33 -- 3. The Second World War as an economic disaster -- 4. The rise, fall and rise again of OPEC -- 5. Inflation in the twentieth century -- 6. Financial crises -- 7. Stock market crashes -- 8. The demise of...