Event Details

In the next installment of our History Research Seminars, we will host Jussi Hanhimäki, from The Graduate Institute in Geneva, who will present the paper 'Pax Transatlantica: America and Europe in the post-Cold War Era'.

In recent years, observers have repeatedly proclaimed the end of ‘the West’. Particularly following the twin shocks of 2016 – Brexit and the election of Donald Trump – the concept of a transatlantic community seemed to be a relic of an increasingly distant past. But to what extent was ‘the Trump era’ exceptional? In fact, as Jussi Hanhimäki argues, the vacillation between crisis and cooperation has been the normal state of affairs in transatlantic relations for decades. The fundamentals – NATO and economic ties – have remained strong throughout the post-Cold War era. The rise of populism evinced how closely integrated the transatlantic political space has become. The Trump years may have tested the patience of many pundits, diplomats and policymakers. But the reality is that transatlantic conflicts, rather than undermining the relationship, illustrate its resilience. In 2022 the ‘West’ not only endures; it is more deeply integrated than perhaps ever in the past.