Beyond the Nixon Shocks

An examination of US foreign and domestic policies during the 1970s, exploring their immediate impact on the global stage and the consequences for the past half century.

In 1971 President Nixon shocked the world with a series of announcements and policies that changed the political landscape at home, and shifted the bases of international power abroad.

From newly opened diplomatic channels with China to unilateral monetary and trade reforms, this book argues that the so called ‘Nixon Shocks’ transformed not only America but the international economic, security, political and cultural arenas.

Zeiler shows how, along with events such as the release of the Pentagon papers and oil crises, the United States’ foreign and domestic policies of the 1970s indicated the coming of a new world order. Providing a snapshot of these key moments, as the Cold War waned and new powers rose, Beyond the Nixon Shocks highlights America’s role in this era of globalization, tumult and uncertainty, and explores how they were received on the global stage. This book helps us to understand not only the impact of the global 1970s on world affairs, but how events and policies made half a century ago have shaped our modern age.