Chrétien and the World - (The C.D. Howe Canadian Political History) by Jack Cunningham & John Meehan (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Reassesses Jean Chrétien's often overlooked foreign policy work in Canada.

Foreign policy may not be the first thing that comes to mind when reflecting on Jean Chrétien's ten years as Canadian prime minister. However, Chrétien and the World combines the perspectives of key players of the time with analyses by leading scholars to reveal something unexpected: an often ambitious, activist approach to his international affairs.

Contributors draw on personal recollections, interviews, and research to portray a coherent and engaged foreign policy. Chrétien responded to events that reshaped the international landscape, notably 9/11, the war on terror, the US-led invasion of Iraq, and Canadian involvement in Afghanistan. Working with trusted ministers, he emphasized trade liberalization, strong bilateral and multilateral relations, human security, and humanitarian intervention. Though the prime minister is often characterized as purely pragmatic, these essays show that Chrétien's tenure actually marked a high point of liberal internationalism.

This insightful collection demonstrates how Canada navigated crucial years between the end of the Cold War and the emergence of a new geopolitical reality.

About the Author

Jack Cunningham is the program coordinator at the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History at the University of Toronto, where he is also a fellow and assistant professor at Trinity College. He is a former editor of International Journal and co-editor of Australia and Canada in Afghanistan: Perspectives on a Mission and Australia, Canada, and Iraq: Perspectives on an Invasion. John Meehan is the director of the Bill Graham Centre for Contemporary International History at the University of Toronto. He is also a fellow and assistant professor at Trinity College and affiliated faculty at the Centre for the Study of Global Japan at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He is the author of The Dominion and the Rising Sun: Canada Encounters Japan, 1929-41 and Chasing the Dragon in Shanghai: Canada's Early Relations with China, 1858-1952.