Standardizing Empire - (Power, Politics, and the World) by Patrick Chung (Hardcover)
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About this item
Highlights
- Standardizing Empire traces the origins of today's United States-led capitalist world economy.
- About the Author: Patrick Chung is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Maryland, College Park.
- 352 Pages
- History, Military
- Series Name: Power, Politics, and the World
Description
Book Synopsis
Standardizing Empire traces the origins of today's United States-led capitalist world economy. The nation's foreign policy during the Cold War saw two unprecedented developments: the continuous global deployment of US soldiers and the creation of a permanent worldwide military base network. In the process, the US military came to control the flow of billions of dollars, large-scale construction projects at home and abroad, the purchase of countless goods and services, and the employment of millions of soldiers and workers. In other words, the Cold War US military became the world's leading economic actor.
To illuminate the political and economic consequences of the US military's globalization, Patrick Chung focuses on its activities in South Korea between the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Chung shows how the Korean War and the subsequent militarization of South Korea became an important site for the spread of a new economic system, which he calls military-industrial capitalism. Sustained by providing the infrastructure and materials for the US military's globalization, military-industrial capitalism influenced the development of governments, corporations, and workers throughout the US-led "free world." As military-industrial capitalism expanded, more of the world depended on the physical and administrative standards used by the US military. Ironically, the creation of a globalized economy facilitated both South Korea's "economic miracle" and the decline of US industrial might. To clarify how these broader developments transformed everyday life in South Korea and around the world, Standardizing Empire explores three of South Korea's leading multinational corporations today: shipping company Hanjin, steelmaker POSCO, and car manufacturer Hyundai. These case studies not only trace the companies' early ties to the US military but also explain how they came to produce, sell, and employ workers worldwide, including in the United States.About the Author
Patrick Chung is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Maryland, College Park.Dimensions (Overall): 9.0 Inches (H) x 6.0 Inches (W)
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 352
Genre: History
Sub-Genre: Military
Series Title: Power, Politics, and the World
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
Theme: United States
Format: Hardcover
Author: Patrick Chung
Language: English
Street Date: February 3, 2026
TCIN: 1002216881
UPC: 9781512828733
Item Number (DPCI): 247-33-0459
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 1 inches length x 6 inches width x 9 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1 pounds
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