A major figure in the study of international relations since the early 1960s, George Liska examines the fundamental changes in post-Cold War international politics and their profound impact on the state of the new world order. By comparing medieval, modern, and future prospective state systems, this thorough historical analysis of European politics focuses attention on the growth of states and societies, and critiques the strengths and weaknesses of current foreign policy strategies of the East-Central European "heartland" area. Liska bases his analysis on economic and international systems in the East and West by specifically addressing the Czech Republic, Germany, Russia, and the United States. This is important reading for scholars of international relations and politics. Contents: Introduction: After the Revolutions; Part I: Return to the Heartland; Reinterpreting National Histories; The Anatomy of Returns; The Heartland and Its Centerpiece; Part II: Return of the Heartland?; Interrogating National Interests; Dilemmas for Foreign Policies and National Interests; Interlocking Strategies for the Heartland and Beyond; Part III: Rebirth of the Old Order; Reconceptualizing the Environment; The Anatomy of Rebirths; Passing of the State System and the Renascence of Pluralism; Before the Restoration; Appendix; Index. Distributed for the Johns Hopkins Foreign Policy Institute, School of Advanced International Studies.