The Fall of the Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Bloc were hailed as a victory for freedom. But this freedom soon turned out to bring tension and concerns with it… In place of what turned out to be a fairly reassuring balance between two world powers came planetary chaos that American power alone couldn’t control. Far from it. While the two Germanys were reunited, and Europe expanded and adopted a single currency, Russia turned back to brutal authoritarianism. The Middle East has been destabilised by two wars in Iraq, while the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, still unresolved, has come dangerously close to spinning out of control. And China repressed the student protests in Tiananmen Square before opening up to unbridled capitalism. Until the international economical crisis broke out in mid-2007. So much for the end of history? Daniel Vernet describes this evolution, displaying its perspectives and strong points: while Europe may seem weak at times, it nevertheless stands as a model of political compromise serving peace, and an indicator of what the worldwide government the current crisis seems to be calling out for could be.