Mobilizing the Past

Steve Chan is College Professor of Distinction Emeritus at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is the author of more than twenty books, including Looking for Balance: China, the United States, and Power Balancing in East Asia (Stanford, 2012).

Introduction 1. The Origin of the Peloponnesian War 2. The Causes of the Two World Wars 3. The Lesson of Munich, US Intervention in Korea, and Japan's Attack on Pearl Harbor 4. The Reasons for the Peaceful Anglo-American Power Transition 5. The Parallels between the Cuban Missile Crisis and Contest over Taiwan 6. The Falklands/Malvinas Conflict and Lessons for Taiwan 7. Ukraine Today, Taiwan Tomorrow 8. The Suez Crisis, Mayaguez Affair, and Other Historical Legacies 9. Discourse on China's Rise and the Problem with Selective History Conclusion Acknowledgments References Index

"Mobilizing the Past offers a sweeping reexamination of the many historical analogies behind the fatalistic view of an inevitable war between the Unites States and China. Steve Chan powerfully cautions against falling into the trap of wrong historical lessons in both policymaking and theory-building." -Yong Deng, US Naval Academy "Steve Chan's book reminds us how history may be used and abused in taking decisions critical to matters of war and peace. In its predominant focus on the United States and China, Chan's arguments are often challenging and provocative, providing a valuable entry-point into debate about the present and future of this most consequential state-to-state relationship." -Rosemary Foot, University of Oxford "Through a sharp analytical perspective, Steve Chan deconstructs widely accepted historical analogies, revealing their limitations in explaining China's rise and its implications for contemporary international relations. This book is a must-read for scholars, policymakers, and anyone interested in the intersection of history, international politics, and the future of US-China relations." -Xiaoyu Pu, University of Nevada, Reno