William Appleman Williams
William Appleman Williams ( June 12, 1921 - March 5, 1990 ) was an American historian of the New Left who dealt with the history of diplomacy and the history of the United States of America .
Williams participated in World War II as a naval officer . He graduated from the University of Wisconsin . He was there from 1960 to 1968 professor of history and from 1968 to 1986 professor of history at Oregon State University . His books The tragedy of American diplomacy (1959) and Empire as a way of life (1980) have also been translated into German . The supporter of "Democratic socialism" was a co-founder of the "Wisconsin School of Diplomatic Historians" and the journal "Studies on the Left". He is considered one of the "most influential and at the same time most controversial American historians of the 20th century". German historians such as Hartmut Keil and Hans-Ulrich Wehler have largely based their interpretations of US foreign policy on Williams' interpretations.
Books
- American Russian relations 1781-1947 . New York 1952.
- The tragedy of American diplomacy . New York 1962 (German edition udT: The tragedy of American diplomacy, Frankfurt / M. 1973).
- The roots of the modern American empire. A study of the growth and shaping of social consciousness in a marketplace society . New York 1969.
- History as a way of learning. Articles, excerpts, and essays . New York 1973.
- America confronts a revolutionary world 1776-1976 . New York 1976.
- Empire as a way of life. An essay on the causes and character of America's present predicament along with a few thoughts about an alternative . New York 1980 (German edition udT: Give the world law and freedom. America's belief in mission and imperial politics. Hamburg 1984).
- The contours of American history . New York 1988.
Festschrift
- Lloyd C. Gardner (Ed.): Redefining the past. Essays in diplomatic history in honor of William Appleman Williams . Corvallis (Or.) 1986.
literature
- Klaus Schwabe : American world politics from a revisionist perspective. In: Historical magazine . Vol. 221, 1975, pp. 96-104.
- Matthias Waechter: The Invention of the American West. The history of the Frontier debate. Freiburg im Breisgau 1996, especially pp. 318–328.
Web links
- Andrew J. Bacevich: Tragedy Renewed: William Appleman Williams. In: World Affairs , Winter 2009 (English).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Waechter, p. 325
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Williams, William Appleman |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American historian |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 12, 1921 |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 5, 1990 |