
5. The charter defeated: the charter victorious
Nicholas Vincent
in Magna Carta: A Very Short Introduction
‘The charter defeated: the charter victorious’ describes the short-term failure and long-term success of Magna Carta. Within nine weeks of its issue, Magna Carta was redundant because most ...
More

6. War to end war?
Michael S. Neiberg
in The Treaty of Versailles: A Very Short Introduction
The world that the Treaty of Versailles left behind looked anything but peaceful. Even as the ceremonies at Versailles were taking place, the Russian Civil War was threatening to engulf ...
More

5. On the origin of treaties
Anthony Arnull
in European Union Law: A Very Short Introduction
EU Treaties are international agreements signed and ratified by sovereign states. The EU is, therefore, a creation of international law. However, it is increasingly treated by scholars as ...
More

European Union Law: A Very Short Introduction
Anthony Arnull
European Law: A Very Short Introduction considers the laws and legal system of the European Union and discusses the range of issues that the European Union has been given the ...
More

Introduction
Anthony Arnull
in European Union Law: A Very Short Introduction
The Introduction outlines the questions that this VSI attempts to answer. Why does the EU arouse such strong passions? As an organization based on international treaties, why has it proved ...
More

2. From Common Market to European Union
Anthony Arnull
in European Union Law: A Very Short Introduction
The EEC Treaty said that the common market should be established gradually over a transitional period comprising three stages. When the transitional period expired in 1969, the common ...
More

4. A Constabulary Navy: Pirates, Slavers, and Manifest Destiny (1820–1850)
Craig L. Symonds
in American Naval History: A Very Short Introduction
After 1820, the day-to-day duties of the United States Navy involved dealing with smugglers, pirates, and the illegal slave trade and so deploying the large ships of the line was deemed ...
More

6. Independent Ireland
Senia Pašeta
in Modern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction
‘Independent Ireland’ studies Ireland after the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The refusal of dissidents to acknowledge the Anglo-Irish Treaty led to a brutal Civil War. After this conflict, the ...
More

3. The Madero revolt and regime (1910–1913)
Alan Knight
in The Mexican Revolution: A Very Short Introduction
Francisco Madero, scion of one of northern Mexico’s richest families, had led the unsuccessful opposition of early 1910 in the liberal-democratic tradition. ‘The Madero revolt and regime’ ...
More

2. Diplomacy of the American Revolution
Joseph M. Siracusa
in Diplomacy: A Very Short Introduction
‘Diplomacy of the American Revolution’ considers the United States' battle for independence and the diplomatic efforts required to reach agreement with Great Britain. In order to win ...
More

5. The ANZUS Treaty
Joseph M. Siracusa
in Diplomacy: A Very Short Introduction
‘The ANZUS Treaty’ considers the contentious relationship between Australia and the United States of America during the Cold War. Australia's Minister for External Affairs, Herbert V. ...
More

3. Diplomatic origins of the Great War and Versailles
Joseph M. Siracusa
in Diplomacy: A Very Short Introduction
‘Diplomatic origins of the Great War and Versailles’ describes the triggers for the start of World War I. Within days of Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia, Imperial ...
More

3. Global America
Andrew Preston
in American Foreign Relations: A Very Short Introduction
By the end of the nineteenth century, the United States had become the world’s preeminent economic power. Yet for such a large and wealthy country, by 1890 the United States was in a ...
More

The Treaty of Versailles: A Very Short Introduction
Michael S. Neiberg
Signed on June 28, 1919, between Germany and the principal Allied powers, the Treaty of Versailles formally ended World War I. Problematic from the very beginning, the treaty was seen even ...
More

5. To bed, sick of life
Michael S. Neiberg
in The Treaty of Versailles: A Very Short Introduction
What would happen if the Germans refused to sign the treaty? The Allies were not prepared to resume the war or to handle the possibility of a German government collapse. “To bed, sick of ...
More

4. Drafting the treaty
Michael S. Neiberg
in The Treaty of Versailles: A Very Short Introduction
Although primarily a diplomatic document, the Treaty of Versailles covered a wide range of subjects. Many of the articles of the treaty had little to do with Germany. The point was to ...
More

4. Christianity and the Rise of the Individual
Kenneth Minogue
in Politics: A Very Short Introduction
‘Christianity and the Rise of the Individual’ examines the politics of the Middle Ages and the spread of Christianity. Three elements out of which civilization of the high Middle Ages was ...
More

6. Whose god is mightier?
Steven Grosby
in Nationalism: A Very Short Introduction
‘Whose god is mightier?’ studies the effects of religion on nationhood. Religion is simultaneously integral and at odds with nation building. Monotheism's worship of one singular god (and ...
More

1. Clausewitz in his time
Michael Howard
in Clausewitz: A Very Short Introduction
‘Clausewitz in his time’ reveals the influences on Clausewitz's thinking and puts the writing of On War in context. Clausewitz served in the Prussian army from age twelve under renowned ...
More

1. Nations under law
Vaughan Lowe
in International Law: A Very Short Introduction
The most basic function of international law is to secure the coexistence of the world’s almost 200 sovereign States. ‘Nations under law’ explains the essential conditions of statehood ...
More