Now in its fourth edition, this highly successful global history of the twentieth century is written by four prominent international historians for first-year undergraduate level and upward.

Using their thematic and regional expertise, the authors have produced an authoritative yet accessible and seamless account of the history of international relations in the last century, covering events in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. They focus on the history of relations between states and on the broad ideological, economic and cultural forces that have influenced the evolution of international politics over the last 120 years. The fourth edition is thoroughly updated to take account of the most recent research and global developments, including new material on the impact of the Trump administration on international politics, the rise of China under the leadership of Xi Jinping and the origins of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

The book is supported by a fully revised companion website including links to further resources and self-testing material, which can be found at www.routledgelearning.com/internationalhistory20c.

Antony Best is Professor in International History at the London School of Economics. He works on modern East Asian international history. His most recent book is British Engagement with Japan, 1854–1923: The Origins and Course of an Unlikely Alliance (2020).

Jussi M. Hanhimäki is Professor of International History and Politics at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland. He works on US foreign policy, the international history of the Cold War, and transatlantic relations. His latest book is Pax Transatlantica: America and Europe in the Post-Cold War Era (2021).

Joseph A. Maiolo is Professor of International History in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. He works on the history of international relations in the first half of the twentieth century. His latest book, co-authored with Laura Robson, is The League of Nations (2023).

Kirsten E. Schulze is Professor in International History at the London School of Economics. She works on the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Her latest book is Contesting Indonesia: Islamist, Separatist, and Communal Violence since 1945 (2024).