First Strike

Introduction 1. The Seven Streams: Napoleon Moves on Vienna, 1805 2. Preserving a Way of Life: The War Between the States, 1861 3. Imperial Hegemony: The Russo-Japanese War, 1904-1905 4. Trapped into War: Imperial Germany and the Great War in Europe, 1914 5. A Question of Survival: National Socialism Takes Germany to War, 1939 6. Choosing Enemies: Japan Accepts the US Challenge for War, 1941 7. The Soviet Monroe Doctrine: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939 8. Fighting on Ground of its Own Choosing: The PRC Opts for War in Korea, 1950 9. Being Everywhere at Once: Israel Defeats the Arab League, 1967 10. A Dangerous Simplicity: The American Preemptive War in Iraq, 2003. Conclusion: Preemptive Doctrine: The Weight of History, Limited Returns