Contemporary World History Since 1945

This book introduces readers to the historical roots of the key events, issues, and themes in the post-World War II period since 1945.

Organized by region--Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America--it uses case studies to emphasize common themes and patterns. The book argues that the colonial period largely shaped the primary global relationships that still hold in the world today. During and after de-colonization, the Cold War emerged as the dominant global paradigm, but following the collapse of communism, a neo-liberal capitalist agenda prevailed in much of the world, although that has in turn shifted due to the global financial crisis of the late 2000s/early 2010s. The book explores these themes as well as terrorism and the environmental degradation of the planet which are major features of the post-Cold War world, along with racial/ethnic/religious diversity and conflict, democracy, human rights, nationalism, and gender relations.

This volume is an essential resource for students of Contemporary World History, the World Since 1945, and the World in the Twentieth Century more broadly.

Jeffrey W. Jones is a Professor of Russian/Soviet and Contemporary World History at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is the author of several articles and two monographs, including Smoke, Mirrors, and Memories: Legacies of the Soviet-Afghan War (2025).