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From the assertion of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823 to the Reagan Doctrine of the 1980s, the United States has presumed a position of political leadership and pre-eminence in the Western Hemisphere. This has been made possible by two main factors: America's huge economy, which has made the U.S. the largest single commercial market and the biggest investor in Latin America, and America's military prowess, which has been convincingly demonstrated in victories in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) and the Spanish-American War (1898). This volume concentrates on the history of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the nations of Latin America from the creation of the independent United States in the late eighteenth century up to the present. This is accomplished through a chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on the countries involved, significant events, major crises, important figures, controversial issues, and doctrines and policies that have evolved. For scholars, historians, and students interested in the diplomacy of these two regions, the Historical Dictionary of United States-Latin American Relations is an essential reference.

The Historical Dictionary of the Jews presents the history of the Jewish people and their religious culture in a way that makes clear how and why this small, ancient people have survived nearly four millennia and managed to play such an important role in the world-well out of proportion to their population. The Jews trace their origins far back in history to the early tribes of Judah and Moses. Over the centuries, they spread across much of the Western world, as well as into parts of Africa and Asia, until they were crushed by the Holocaust and were forced to find refuge in the United States and the new state of Israel. Because of that horrific event, of the estimated 15 million Jews living today, approximately six million reside in Israel, with almost the same number living in the United States, making these two countries the main center of Jewish life today. This ready reference tells the history of the Jewish people through a detailed chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 200 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and aspects of culture, society, economy, and politics. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Jewish people.

Taoism, the set of philosophical teachings and religious practices rooted in the understanding of the Chinese character Tao, or "e;The Way,"e; was founded by the Chinese philosopher Laozi in the 6th Century BCE, whose work, the Tao Te Ching (The Book of the Way and its Virtue) laid the philosophical foundation for the religion's beliefs. This volume starts, as it should, with a detailed chronology of Taoism and its relationship both to China and other teachings. The introduction inserts it further in this basic context. Then the dictionary section, consisting of several hundred cross-referenced entries, provides a more detailed treatment of significant persons, nonpersons (gods and demons), concepts, practices, rituals, scriptures, and schools. The bibliography suggests further reading.

Contrary to many assessments that immediately followed the end of the 1991 Persian Gulf War, that war was neither short nor decisive. The 1991 conflict was the dramatic manifestation of long-standing antagonisms among the principal participants, and its results continue to have a profound effect on the region, a fact that can be seen most clearly in the current U.S.-occupation of Iraq. It is therefore important to determine, on the diplomatic side, just how the war got started, how it was fought, and whether the dramatic ground campaign should have exceeded the mere hundred hours it lasted in order to bring about a more decisive conclusion.With the seemingly endless follow-up to the war continuing, The A to Z of the Persian Gulf War 1990-1991 draws together the results of assessments of the war by a multitude of commentators. This is accomplished through an introduction, a chronology, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on many of the significant civilian and military persons, crucial diplomatic and political actions, as well as the essential military aspects, including the strategy and tactics, the encounters and battles, and the forces and weapons deployed by both sides. As the situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate, this reference provides an important historical perspective on an increasingly critical issue.

In this reference, Buffery and Marcer cover all of the areas historically inhabited by the Catalan people. These are, in order of size and population: Catalonia, which accounts for over half of the population of the Catalan-speaking areas; Valencia, with over a third; the Balearic Islands with just under 8 percent; and the Catalunya Nord, the Principality of Andorra, and the Catalan-speaking areas within Aragon, Murcia, and Alghero.The Historical Dictionary of the Catalans deals not only with the people who live in Catalonia, but with the language and culture of the Catalan countries as well. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 600 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, events, institutions, and aspects of culture, society, economy, and politics.

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716) was one of the first Modern philosophers, and as such, one of the most significant. His contributions were often pathbreaking and his imprint still remains on fields such as logic, mathematics, science, international law, and ethics. While publishing relatively little during his life, he was in regular correspondence with important philosophers and even political leaders. The Historical Dictionary of Leibniz's Philosophy sheds light not only on his philosophical thought but also the impact it had on the thinking of his contemporaries. They, and he, are described in numerous cross-referenced dictionary entries. Also included are other entries that present his writings, explain his concepts, and trace his action in specific fields. The introduction sums much of this up and_along with the bibliography_provides a strong foundation for further study.

The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Gulf Arab States comes at a time when the world's attention is riveted on the Middle East. The small states covered in this volume_Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)_possess about 20 percent of the world's total oil reserves. Beyond the strategic and economic importance conferred upon them by their vast oil reserves, the Gulf Arab states are worthy of attention for the inherent interest of their history and culture. No area of the world has yielded more revealing and exciting archaeological finds in the past few decades than these states. Investigations have brought to light extensive evidence of an important culture as old as Egypt of the Pharaohs or ancient Babylon, which was virtually unknown previously except through rare references in the records of other civilizations. This expanded second edition covers the history of the five countries through a chronology broken down by country, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and several hundred cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, and events of each country. Everything from the Abbasids to Zubarah is covered in this essential reference on this increasingly important region of the world.

Few periods have given civilization such a strong impulse as the Renaissance, which started in Italy and then spread to the rest of Europe. During its brief epoch, most vigorously from the fourteen to the sixteenth centuries, Europe reached back to Ancient Greece and Rome, and pushed ahead in numerous fields: art, architecture, literature, philosophy, banking, commerce, religion, politics, and warfare. This era is inundated with famous names (Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Petrarch, Machiavelli, Cervantes, and Shakespeare), and the heritage it left can hardly be overestimated.The A to Z of the Renaissance provides information on these fields through its chronology, which traces events from 1250 to 1648, and its introduction delineating the underlying features of the period. However, it is the dictionary section, with hundreds of cross-referenced entries on famous persons (from Adrian to Zwingli), key locations, supporting political and social institutions, wars, religious reformations, achievements, and failures, which is the heart of this book. Further research is facilitated by the bibliography.

The American Revolution was perhaps the most significant event in modern history. It forever demonstrated the ability of a significantly smaller group of people to rebel against their oppressors. On top of that it also gave birth to what would become the most powerful country in the world. And while these feats were impressive, it was the drafting of a constitution, the forging of a union between divided states, and the fashioning of a truly democratic form of government that caused this event to go down in the annals of history. Thus, the Historical Dictionary of Revolutionary America is not just about the grievances that led to war nor the actual war itself, but more particularly the subsequent period of trial and error - when success was far from certain and failure could never be ruled out - in which the thirteen states and those that followed were welded into the United States of America. To do this, Mays employs: · an introductory essay and chronology outlining the events · over 1100 dictionary entries on significant people as well as the political, economic, and social events of the era · an extensive bibliography organized into nearly 100 different categories to facilitate additional research · appendices documenting the signers of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution · a fourth appendix lists all the Presidents of Congress under the Articles of Confederation

Covering an extensive period and much of the globe, this dictionary presents a year-by-year chronology and alphabetical entries on civilian and military leaders, crucial countries and peripheral conflicts, the increasingly lethal weapons systems, and the various political and military strategies.

India's history and culture is ancient and dynamic, spanning back to the beginning of human civilization. Beginning with a mysterious culture along the Indus River and in farming communities in the southern lands of India, the history of India is punctuated by constant integration with migrating peoples and with the diverse cultures that surround the country. Placed in the center of Asia, history in India is a crossroads of cultures from China to Europe, as well as the most significant Asian connection with the cultures of Africa.The Historical Dictionary of Ancient India provides information ranging from the earliest Paleolithic cultures in the Indian subcontinent to 1000 CE. The ancient history of this country is related in this book through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on rulers, bureaucrats, ancient societies, religion, gods, and philosophical ideas.

Academic philosopher, logician, public intellectual, educator, political activist, and freethinker, Bertrand Russell was and remains a colossus. No other single philosopher in the last 200 years can be said to have created so much and influenced so many. His Principia Mathematica, written with A. N. Whitehead, ranks as one of the greatest books on logic since Aristotle. His philosophical work on language, meaning, logic, mind, and metaphysics formed the basis of 20th-century philosophy. Russell was active in numerous political movements of liberation and peace, and his popular writings, including the best-selling History of Western Philosophy, won the Nobel prize in literature in 1950. Historical Dictionary of Bertrand Russell's Philosophy offers a comprehensive, current guide to the many facets of Russell's work. Through its chronology, introductory essay, bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on concepts, people, works, and technical terms, Russell's impact on philosophy and related fields is made accessible to the reader in this must-have reference.

Having only emerged in the past few decades, Feminist Philosophy is rapidly developing its own thrust in areas of particular importance to feminism-and women more generally-while also reevaluating and reshaping most other fields of philosophy, from ethics to logic and Marxism to environmentalism.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established by the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 1949. The treaty was signed by Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, France, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Portugal, Italy, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. Today there are a total of 26 countries that belong to NATO. The Historical Dictionary of NATO and Other International Security Organizations covers the Atlantic Alliance's origins, structure and organization through a list of acronyms and abbreviations, a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 1,000 cross-referenced dictionary entries on its Secretaries-Generals, its Supreme Allied Commanders-Europe, plus all affiliated organizations created to enhance NATO's reach in a broader Euro-Atlantic security architecture (e.g. North Atlantic Consultative Council, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, NATO-Russia Charter; NATO-Ukraine Charter, and NATO-Mediterranean Dialogue Partners). This book also covers other related regional organizations with security responsibilities in Europe and worldwide where they interact with NATO, either currently (e.g. ANZUS, ASEAN, European Union, Organization of African Unity, Organization of American States, Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and United Nations) or in the past (e.g. CENTO, European Defence Community, SEATO, Warsaw Pact, and Western European Union).

The period from 1925 to 1960 was the heyday of the American Radio Soap Opera. In addition to being part of popular culture, the soap opera had important commercial aspects as well that were not only related to their production, but also to the desperate need to sell products or perish. Both sides of this story are traced in this comprehensive compendium. The dictionary section, made up of more than 500 cross-referenced entries, provides brief vignettes of the more popular and also less well-known 'soaps,' among them Back Stage Wife, Our Gal Sunday, Pepper Young's Family and The Guiding Light. Other entries evoke those who brought these programs to life: the actors, announcers, scriptwriters, networks, and even the sponsors. Nor are the basic themes, the stock characters and the gimmick, forgotten. The book's introduction defines the soap opera, examines the span of the radio serial, reviews its origins and its demise, and focuses on the character types that made up its denizens. The chronology outlines the period and the bibliography offers further reading. Together, these elements make a comprehensive reference work that researchers will find invaluable long into the future.

The Historical Dictionary of Latin American Literature and Theater provides users with an accessible single-volume reference tool covering Portuguese-speaking Brazil and the 16 Spanish-speaking countries of continental Latin America (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela). Entries for authors, ranging from the early colonial period to the present, give succinct biographical data and an account of the author's literary production, with particular attention to their most prominent works and where they belong in literary history. The introduction provides a review of Latin American literature and theater as a whole while separate dictionary entries for each country offer insight into the history of national literatures. Entries for literary terms, movements, and genres serve to complement these commentaries, and an extensive bibliography points the way for further reading. The comprehensive view and detailed information obtained from all these elements will make this book of use to the general-interest reader, Latin American studies students, and the academic specialist.

Through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on kings, politicians, authors, architects, composers, artists, and philosophers, a thorough history of France is presented.

Vietnam became part of French Indochina in 1887 and did not regain its independence again until after the Vietnam War. However, despite a relatively peaceful two decades the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies. In an effort to change this stagnation, Vietnamese authorities have committed to economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The third edition of this dictionary focuses on the recent changes and leadership of Vietnam while giving due attention to the earlier kingdoms, the period of French Indochina, the wars for liberation, the Vietnam War, and much more. Hundreds of cross-referenced A to Z dictionary entries are included on political, economic, social and cultural aspects as well as the major cities and geographic features. This book also contains a chronology and introduction that traces Vietnam's history, as well as a bibliography.

The term French theater evokes most immediately the glories of the classical period and the peculiarities of the Theater of the Absurd. It has given us the works of Corneille, Racine, and Moliere. In the Romantic era there was Alexander Dumas and surrealist works of Alfred Jarry, and then the Theater of the Absurd erupted in rationalistic France with Samuel Beckett, Eugene Ionesco, and Jean-Paul Sartre.The Historical Dictionary of French Theater relates the history of the French theater through a chronology, introduction, bibliography, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on authors, trends, genres, concepts, and literary and historical developments that played a central role in the evolution of French theater.

The Historical Dictionary of Modern China (1800-1949) offers a concise but comprehensive examination of the political, military, economic, social, and cultural development of modern China. Instead of focusing merely on the political elites of China, this reference covers a variety of significant persons, including women and ethnic minorities; new historical concepts; cultural and educational institutions; and economic activities. Drawing on newly-available records, including a large mass of governmental and family archives, the narratives presented reveal new facts, offer a new interpretation in accordance with China's modernization process during the late Qing period, and a revisionist perspective on the Republican history. The chronology records not only political and military events but also other experiences of the Chinese people. The bibliography gives prominence to current literature on China's drive towards modernization and appendixes provide the reader with detailed information on China's cultural and economic transformation.

The Korean War was the first pitched battle between the communist forces and a coalition of the United Nations. While it was not the last such war in Asia, it did stem the tide in East Asia and permitted South Korea to prosper while North Korea decayed. Dictionary entries summarize the significance of the persons, places, organizations, military operations, battles, weaponry, and other elements of the war.

The Lithuanian people have undergone historic changes quite different from those of other European nations. In earlier centuries geography provided strategic advantage and opportunities for expansion but in recent times the country has more often experienced location as a geopolitical curse. After constantly losing territory and shrinking in size, the country disappeared in 1795. However, after World War I a popular national movement led to the restoration of Lithuania as an independent state. World War II and its bloody aftermath brought foreign occupation as well as genocide, mass murder, and destruction unparalleled in the country's modern history. The restoration of independence in 1990 has fundamentally altered Lithuania's geopolitical reality. Integration into the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization promise a new level of security for the Lithuanian state in the 21st century even as the social and economic transformations present both promising opportunities and difficult challenges. The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Lithuania will serve as a useful introduction to virtually all aspects of Lithuania's historical experience, including the country's relations with its neighbors. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 300 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, and events; institutions and organizations; and political, economic, social, cultural, and religious facets.

The horrific events of September 11 caught America off guard and left millions of people with unanswered questions. The ever-present threat of another terrorist attack has shaken the foundations of the United States nation. This text covers this subject.

An historical overview of slavery through the ages, from prehistoric times to the 21st century. It details slavery's different forms and the circumstances existing in numerous countries and regions. It also explores the causes and cures of slavery, and the plight of those who fought against it.

There is both unity and variety in the Islamic world. Muslims are not a homogeneous people who can be explained solely by their normative texts: the Koran and the Sunnah. Muslims differ vastly in their interpretation of Islam: modernists want to reinterpret Islam to adapt to the requirements of modern times while traditionalists tend to look to the classical and medieval periods of Islam as their model of the Islamic state.The A to Z of Islam presents a concise overview of Islamic history, religion, philosophy, and Islamic political movements. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and cross-referenced dictionary entries, which include the biographies and thoughts of medieval thinkers, as well as those of modern members of the religious and political establishments. Articles describe the major sects, schools of theology, and jurisprudence, as well as aspects of Islamic culture. Together, this book represents a brief introduction to the field of Islamic studies.